Warriors Fan Novel - Skyclan's Prophecy
by Eeveelutionsgirl
Summary: There will be four, born of Storm, who will shape the destiny of the clans for eternities to come. The clans are once more five, and old rivalries and clashes begin. Starclan sent a prophecy to Echosong many moon ago. This was passed down for generations, and when Stormstar's kits show traces of the prophecy, and Dovewing senses this in them, will the clans be changed for eternity
1. Chapter 1 and Prolouge

Skyclan's Prophecy

A Fanmade Warrior's Novel

Based of the hit book series by Erin Hunter

Prolouge

Miststar looked down on the gorge that Skyclan remained living in. She saw the kits rush out of the nursery like a fire spreading through drought grass. The elder's were telling Lemonpaw and Dewpaw stories about when Miststar, Thornclaw, Firestorm and Sugarpelt were apprentices. The destiny four.

"Miststar, Dovewing would like to talk to you." Lightningflash meowed to th Skyclan leader.

"Thank you Lightningflash, tell her I'll be there in a minute." Miststar nodded Lightningflash to tell the medicine cat.

_Feathersong, I hope that Starclan is taking care of you and that herbs grow a-plenty among the grounds of Starclan. _Miststar thought as she leaped down from the Skyrock and walked over to the medicine den.

"What is it, Dovewing?" Miststar asked the light gray she-cat.

"It was a dream, Feathersong told me this; A storm will come and wash away those who's loyalty wavers; but those who have loyalty are those who remain. I don't know what it means, but SkyClan must remain strong." Dovewing meowed softly and her blue eyes pircing into Miststar's brown ones.

"I will make sure out clan will be strong as it was in the time of Stormstar." Miststar mewed, walking out to Skyrock and called out the summons her father before had used and what cats of ages ago used.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather in the Skyshadow at Skyrock for a clan meeting." Miststar announced as her clan gathered below her.

Chapter 1

Lilacpetal meowed at her young kits, Mistkit, Sugarkit, Thornkit, and Firekit.

"Don't bother your father to much, okay?" Lilacpetal meowed.

"We won't, will we guys?" Thornkit meowed back, turning his head to look at his littermates.

"Nope!" Thornkit's littlemates squeaked.

"Well then, you can go on ahead. But when I call you four in, don't argue." Lilacpetal sternly mewed.

"Okay, Mother." Sugarkit mewed in her soft voice.

The four kits leaped out of the nursery den and out into the camp.

"Oh, those kit's 'll be apprentices by the time I can go to a gathering again." Fernflower croaked.

"Hush now, Fernflower. You don't want to start coughing again, rest your voice." Feathersong soothed. "Dovepaw, get some tansy please."

"Coming right up, Feathersong!" Dovepaw scrambled up the ledge to where the herbs were kept, high up so their supplies couldn't be accessed by invading clans, it was too high for other clans to leap. Except Skyclan.

"Thank you, now chew these up, Fernflower." Feathingsong thanked Dovepaw for the tansy.

"I also brought some poppy seeds if you need them." Dovepaw put them on a leaf.

"I will, thank you." Feathersong meowed.

A misty colored kit came into the medicine den.

"Hello, Mistkit. Where are your littlemates?" Fernflower coughed.

"Oh, they are looking for Nightfall and Dad. We wanted to hear about the battle versus Shadowclan on the border. Do you know where they are?" Mistkit asked.

"Yes, I do." Dovepaw meowed. "Nightfall is at Skyshadow, sharing tongues with Shimmerwillow, and Stormstar is out on a hunting patrol."

"Thank you for telling me, Dovepaw!" Mistaw mewed and leaped out of the den.

"Guys!"

"What is it Mistkit?" Sugarkit mewed in curiosity.

"Dovepaw told me where Nightfall is!" Mistkit bubbled with excitment.

"Now we get to know what happened in the fight!" Firekit meowed

"If I were there, those mangy crow-food eating Shadowclan pelts to shreds!" Thornkit hissed tackling his brother, Firepaw. His sharp claws were sharp as thorns.

"Owch! Stop it! Stop it!" Firekit hissed swiping at his brother.

"What is going on here?" A black cat asked, much taller that the kits.

"Nightfall!" Thornkit meowed

"If you are going to hurt your brother, I won't tell you the story of the Shadowclan battle." Nightfall purred in amusment of the little kits.

"Oh, please tell us! I won't fight with Firekit anymore...for today." Thornkit looked at his brother who cowered under his gaze.

"Okay then, why don't we sit down and I will share with you four the story of the battle." Nightfall mewed, a hint of a amused purr in her tone. "Follow me, why don't we go to the water cave and talk in there."

The kits squealed and scrambled after the clan deputy into the water cave.

"Now what? Can you get on with the story!" Thornkit impationtly hissed.

He felt a cuff around his ear and he hissed; "Hey!"

"That's no way to talk to any cat, especially the deputy for Starclan's sake." Sugarkit annoyed her brother.

"May you please tell us the story, Nightfall?" Mistkit mewed politly.

"Why not." Nightfall agreed.

The four kittens eagerly mewed in excitment.

"It started over border patrols crossing paths, the Shadowclan patrol accused Poppypaw of crossing the border. They then lunged at her and that's when I stepped in, a tortishell she-cat named Creampelt tackled Poppypaw. I immediatly lunged at her, she screeched a fell into a tangle of roots. Poppypaw and I both raked her belly when Tanglepaw yowled and rushed to claw at Poppypaw. Lilyblossom sunk her claws into Tanglepaw. Tanglepaw yowled as Bushpaw raked his belly. He fell limp under Lilyblossom's paws. She was quick to respond, hopping off of the apprentice, before he realized his opponent knew what he was doing, he leaped up right into Bushpaw's claws. He hung limp and Bushpaw's feet, scarlet blood staining the grass." Nightfall mewed.

"Did any Skyclan cat's get hurt yet?" Firekit asked.

"Not yet, Firekit." Nightfall told him; "I told Poppypaw to come back to camp to get Blazeclaw, Slashmark, Willowbreeze and Robinfeather. The patrol came in time to see Shadowclan's ranks inncreased as well. Slashmark hissed at Blackclaw and the two warrior toms rolled into the stony riverbank. I heard the earspliting yowl of Blackclaw as a red liquid rolled on the pointed stones of the riverbank. He staggered up and howled for mercy. Slashmark is very loyal to the warrior code and it states, 'A warrior doesn't need to kill to win a battle'. He let the wounded warrior flee along with Creampelt, her creamy pelt streaked with her own blood., and Rootpaw, Creampelt's apprentice, followed behind limping. Willowbreeze focused on chasing the three fleeing cats away, not realizing that Raventail was behind her. She turned around stunned as he swiped her muzzle, blood poured from her wound, Tunnelpaw slid underneath her raking her belly. She howled for mercy but the Shadowclan cats showed none. I hurled at Raventail, shoving him into the same roots that Creampelt got tangled in. He yelped as the brambles that grew under the roots scraped his pelt and I raked his muzzle. Poppypaw slid beside Tunnelpaw and shoved him away. He clawed acrossed his face, and Tunnelpaw staggered backwards, into a tree. He was to weak to climb it, but he tried. Surprizingly he made it up, his eyes screwed up and red. But, Tunnelpaw as much as he tried to climb higher, couldn't get out of Poppypaw's jumping reach. He flexed his Skyclan jumping muscles and leaped into the tree knocking Tanglepaw out of the high tree. We heard a crack of a bone, Tanglepaw's neck, and he lay limp at the foot of the tree. "Shadowclan, retreat!" Graycloud, the deputy yowled, bleeding himself. The cats sulked away, our cats hissing as they, deafeated, left our territory, carrying their two dead apprentices, Tanglepaw and Tunnelpaw."

"I wished that no cat had to have died there, they must have been newer apprentices right?" Sugarkit mewed.

"Yes, Tanglepaw was only 7 and a half moons old, but Tunnelpaw was going to be a warrior in a few moons. He was 16 moons." Nightfall responded.

"May all cat's old enough to catch their own prey gather at Skyshadow at Skyrock for a clan meeting." Stormstar, the leader of Skyclan and the father of Mistkit, Sugarkit, Thornkit and Firekit.

"You four can come if you are silent, okay?" Nightfall mewed behind her as she walked up to the front of Skyshadow, turning to face her clan.

"This looks important, judging by Stormstar's expression." A warrior named Skyfall meowed.

"I can tell myself, thank you." A she-cat mewed, her name was Ripplepaw.

Ripplepaw proudly sat at the head of Skyshadow, alongside Poppypaw. Ripplepaw was Stormstar's second apprentice. But Poppypaw was Nightfall's first. She became deputy one moon after Poppypaw became her apprentice.

"I would like to share with you all, and our ansestors above us, the bringing of new warriors. This is the most important time of a clan cats' life. Poppypaw and Ripplepaw, please step forward. Nightfall, do you believe that Poppypaw has learned the ways of a true Skyclan cat and following of the code?" Stormstar asked.

"Yes, I do." Nightfall answered, trying to look composed, but her pride in her apprentice shone in her eyes.

"Then from this day onward, Poppypaw, you will be known as Poppyclaw. Skyclan honors your courage, agilty, and skill in battle. We are honored to have you as a warrior of our clan." Stormstar meowed. Poppyclaw leaped up to Skyrock and touched noses with Stormstar.

"Poppyclaw! Poppyclaw!" The clan yowled.

"And I believe that Rippleaw has learned the ways of a true Skyclan cat and following of the code. Then, Ripplepaw, from this day onward, you will be known as Rippledawn. Skyclan honors your swiftness, speed and agilty in battle. We are honored to have you as a warrior of our clan." Stormstar proudly meowed. Rippledawn leaped up beside Poppyclaw and touched noses with her former mentor.

"Rippledawn! Rippledawn!" The clan cheered.

The clan turned their heads to Starclan and Stormstar spoke; "Starclan, may you accept these cats to be warriors of Skyclan."

"Poppyclaw, Rippledawn! Poppyclaw, Rippledawn!" The clan yowled to Starclan.

"The meeting is dimissed, and Poppyclaw and Rippledawn will sit vigil untill sunrise." Stormstar leaped from Skyrock onto the ledge of his den. He dissapeared into the vines and the new warriors sat at Skyrock, to begin their vigil.

The clan scattered around, Bushpaw going to the training hollow with his mentor, Lilyblossom, and Robinfeather told Thunderkit, Lightningkit, Rainkit, and Snowkit stories sitting on Sunset Ledge.

"Fernflower is not doing good, Dovepaw, we need catmint, tansy, honey and poppy seeds, lots of them!" Feathersong rushed.

Dovepaw hurried and grabs the items, dropping them by her mentor. Feathersong chewed up the tansy into the honey and Fernflower was eating the catmint, weakly. Feathersong gave her the honey-tansy poultice. Fernflower laped up the 5 poppy seeds and fell into a calm sleep. The medicince cat and her apprentice rushed around grabbing herbs that Fernflower needed.

"Dovepaw, get some soft fresh-kill for Fernflower," Feathersong's urgently mewed.

"I'll do it." Sugarkit offered.

"Thank you so much, dear." Feathersong meowed as Sugarkit ran to the fresh-kill cavern. Grabbing a soft squirrel, she threw it out of the cave to her siblings, Mistkit, Thornkit and Firekit. They caught it and took it to Fernflower to eat. Sugarkit leaped down and then Lilacblossom and Goldentail called in their kits.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"But I don't want to come in! I wanna talk to Poppyclaw and Rippledawn!" Lightningkit complained.

"Now you don't want to make Goldentail mad do you? Nettletail wouldn't want to hear that his precious kits disobeyed their mother, now would he? And those two are on their vigil, they mustn't talk untill sunrise." Lilacpetal mewed.

Snowkit, Rainkit, Thunderkit, Mistkit, Sugarkit, Firekit and Thornkit all stolled over to the nursery. Lightningkit was shocked how easy it was for Lilacpetal to take charge of rowdy Thornkit and she-tom Rainkit without any backlash. He suddenly felt as if his paws were moving toward the nursery without him moving them.

Little, quiet mews and yawns only things you heard in the nursery. Also with the two queens trying to quiet their kits, or more like Goldentail trying to quiet Thunderkit, Lightningkit and Rainkit.

The three kits wailed in protest while their little sister, Snowkit, was asleep so soundly it seemed like she was knocked out. Lilacpetal's kits whispered ever so quietly it seemed like they weren't even saying a word.

Poppyclaw and Rippledawn sat proudly on Skyrock.

Rippledawn gazed over at the clan, admiring the ever so beautiful view of the camp, felt Poppyclaw's tail twine with her's. She felt her fur get hot and pressed up against him. His warmth sent tingles down her spine. He kept the blue-gray she-cat warm. It may have been Greenleaf, but nights got sort of chilly in the ravine. Her yellow eyes wanted to close, but she felt Poppylcaw's steady breathing and it kept her awake. Poppyclaw kept his mouth open to taste the air for any mysterious scents. Rippledawn purred as the two cats cuddled together atop Skyrock, and above the leader's den. The two cats felt such power siting in the very spot Stormstar adressed the clan from. _I wish it could be like this forever... _Rippledawn thought. As apprentice's Rippledawn always had a thing for Poppyclaw. Or back then, Ripplepaw and Poppypaw.

The sun began to rise over the ravine, right in the middle of the Skyclan camp. Lilacpetal's kits were already awake, sitting at the nursery ledge, watch the sunrise begin.

"You four can go to Sun Ledge if you're careful." Lilacpetal purred.

The four kits hurried to the ledge watching the sunrise. It was the best place to watch the sunset or sunrise. When you sat turned left, the sunset or sunrise was right in front of you.

_I wish that Poppylcaw and I could be there, tails twined, pelts brushing and happy. _Rippledawn was swept away in thoughts of her and Poppyclaw becoming mates. _In time, Rippledawn, in time. _She thought.

"No! NO! Fernflower, wake up! Fernflower! Please!" A she-cat's voice echoed from the Medicince Den.

"Robinfeather, you have to accept that she has gone to Starclan. She'll be happy there, with her sisters, brother, mother and father. Let's go and let Vineleaf and Tangledfern bury her in the Birch Hollow after the night vigil." Feathersong was trying to clam her down, resting her tail tip on Robinfeather's shoulder.

Sobs came from Robinfeather as she mourned over her former mentor. She was the closest thing to family Fernflower had after her 2 sisters died, her brother killed, and parents dead.

Dovepaw and Feathersong carried Fernflower's limp body to the center of the camp, the clan lost a great cat, and Stormstar knew it.

"Let all cat's gather by the body of Fernflower to pay respects to out beloved clanmate." Stormstar called.

All of the clan, even the 8 kits, padded over to Fernflower to pay respects. They all sat near her body, her Skyclan scent becoming masked by the scent of death, the warmth in her body fading to become cold like the stone of the ravine in Leaf-bare. All of the clan cats' heads were bowed down.

"Starclan, we hope that you will accept this wonderful cat into your ranks. Skystar, take care of her. Mother her as she mothered our clan. She was gentle to all cat's, weither Skyclan, Riverclan, Thunderclan, Windclan or Shadowclan. Please let her live in peace up with you, and you in which she had faith and loyalty to. May Starclan ever be with you, Fernflower. Destinystar, thank you for blessing us with the life of this wonderful cat." Stormstar meowed solumly mewed over the body of Fernflower.

"Fernflower, Fernflower!" The clan chanted for the last time.

Robinwing sat herself next to the body of Fernflower, and so did Dewyfield, Soulpelt, and Eaglewind.

"What are they doing, Daddy?" Sugarkit curiously asked Stormstar.

"They are sitting vigil, but only the cat's closest to Fernflower are allowed to sit vigil." Stormstar whispered.

"Now, you four kits need to go to bed and get a good rest." Lilacpetal mewed tiredly.

A gentle sob was heard from Robinfeather and Dewyfield rested her tail-tip on her shoulder.

"It'll be okay, I promise, I should know of all cats." Dewyfield mewed sadly.

Dewyfield watched as her life had been ruined, the battle killing her whole family as a kit. She only narrowly survived, luckily, stumbling into a Skyclan patrol. She collasped and all she remembered was waking up in a ravine. She has fought harder than any cat to defend her clan, the clan that saved her.

The sun was setting and the stars of Silverpelt shone brightly above the ravine camp.

"I am so excited!" Rippledawn mewed joyfuly.

"I know, I am too." Poppyclaw replied.

"Our first gathering as warriors!" Rippledawn mewed.

"It's not tonight, though." A she-cat crept up behind them.

"Hello, Nightfall." Poppyclaw meowed with respect. She had been his mentor and the clan deputy.

"Hello." Rippledawn bowed her head.

"You will have to behave tomarrow night at the gathering, no chatting with anyone while the leader's are speaking like you were brand-new apprentices'." Nightfall mrowed sternly.

Nightfall went into the crevise near the middle of Skyrock, her den. Her den was right below Stormstar's.

Poppyclaw and Rippledawn drowsily leaped into the warriors den and into their brand-new nests. It was their first night in the warriors den. Their first night of being warriors was spent on the vigil.

The sun began to rise as the stars of Silverpelt began to fade one by one and the moon began to disappear in the suns overwhelming light.

Thunderkit, Lightningkit, and Rainkit were out of the nursery as soon as the smallest trace of sunlight hit the nursery while Snowkit was helping their mother, Goldentail, clean out their nest.

"Thank you so much. You five were extra helpful." Goldentail smiled.

Snowkit, Mistkit, Sugarkit, Thornkit and Firekit all helped out clean the nursery, when the two apprentices Bushpaw and Mintpaw came in to do clean the nursery they saw the kits had already done it.

"Here is some fresh moss and quail feathers to weave in to your nest." Mintpaw mewed kindly. Mintpaw was Stormstar's little sister.

"Thank you, you little starling." Lilacpetal replied.

"Mintpaw! Bushpaw! Time to get going to the Training Oak Hollow!" Lilyblossom meowed loudly to her apprentice and Shinningtail's.

The two young apprentice's rushed over to their mentors' and headed out of camp to the hollow that lay underneath the Tall Oak's roots, hollowed out by a river ages ago.

As the two apprentices climbed the rocky slope out of camp. Their mentors leaped up ledges and got to the top faster.

The apprentice's shook all the pebbles and gravel out their fur as they dissappeared with Lilyblossom and Shinningtail into the forest.


	3. Chapter 3 Part One

Chapter 3 Part 1

Mintpaw felt the breeze ruffle her pelt and the soft, lush greenleaf grass felt wonderful under-paw. Mintpaw wanted to stop right there and roll in the grass, but her apprentice tasks came first. Fun could come later, right now, she was going to train. If she wasted her time on playing around like a little kit, if her clan was really under attack, she wouldn't know but the basic's of fighting, and the other clan's would overpower her.

She glanced behind her, Bushpaw and Lilyblossom were two fox-lengh's away from her and Shinningtail. Mintpaw ran faster and harder, her paws thruming the now hard ground, the ground had went from soft grass to rough, torn grass and dirt. It was the battle ground where Shadowclan accused Poppypaw, or Poppyclaw now, of crossing the border. She saw Bushpaw's frightened look sent chills down her spine, something much worse than what Nightfall told Lilacpetal's kits had happened. She heard Nigthfall's tale of the battle to the kits, and knew there had to be something worse that happened, Bushpaw streaked past her like a blur of silvery fur, he wanted to get out of the battle grounds. Her paws pounded the ground, the grass became soft and lush once more. She ran faster and faster, untill tree's became only brown and green blurs. She saw the silvery fur right ahead of her. She slowed down, silently climbing a tree racing up above Bushpaw.  
She leaped on top of her clanmate, him reeling around, surprised. She rolled herself into a ball, fliping in the air. Landing facing Bushpaw, she shoved him over, claws sheathed, and she ran. Getting to the Training Oak Hollow first was her goal. Their mentor's were watching silently from the tree's. She heard the snap of a twig, turning around she saw Bushpaw, swiping at his muzzle hard, he fell on his side. Mintpaw may be smaller than Bushpaw, but she was stronger, faster, more agile and smart. Leaping to the low branch of a tree, she grabbed a vine. She tied her clanmate, gently, to the tree roots. He could claw his way out, she knew it. She used the time she had to run before Bushpaw came to his senses again. She rolled in a flowerbush to mask her scent. Running harder, she heard Bushpaw's growl. Panting, she saw the Training Oak.  
_Thank Starclan, _she thought. She heard Bushpaw's panting too. _He must be getting tired too. Maybe I can use that to my advantage. _Mintpaw thought. She stopped in front of Bushpaw, he tripped on a twig. While he was tangled in the brambles near the twig, Mintpaw grabbed some vines and lay them out, he would trip or get tangled in them as she ran over them. She leaped into a tree and ran through branches. _Uh, oh._ Mintpaw got worried. Bushpaw leaped into the same tree. She ran fast and dove out of the tree into the Training Oak Hollow Tunnel.

"Yes!" Mintpaw cheered.

"Okay, Mintpaw, you win." Bushpaw sadly mewed.

"Don't be so down, Mintpaw may be great at running and quick thinking but you have your strengths too. You are strong and loyal, it is a good place to be, in battle you two could work really well as a team, strength, speed, smarts, and loyalty." Lilyblossom praised.

"Why don't we do what we came to do?" Shinningtail mewed impatiantly.

The four cats padded down the dirt tunnel to the underground hollow that Skylcan used for apprentice training out of sight. It was also a nice, cool place to relax when it's hot.

"Okay, Mintpaw. Crouch and do what I do, okay?" Shinningtail mewed as she crouched, leaped, twisted, swiped the air and landed sliding under an invisable opponent clawing a their belly.

Mintpaw copied perfectly.

"Great job, Mintpaw. Now, let's see you use it on Bushpaw." Shinningtail instructed.

Bushpaw swished his tail as Mintpaw crouched. He sprang up but his strength was no match for Mintpaw's speed. Mintpaw leaped, twisted and hit Bushpaw across the muzzle, stunning him as he fell on his paws, she slid benath him, pawing his belly. He then slammed his weight on Mintpaw. She shreaked and lay limp. Bushpaw had no clue what hit him, Mintpaw was on her back and she used all of her strength, and pushed him up onto his back. Slamming the ground he grunted.  
Mintpaw hissed and slammed her paws onto him belly, he rolled over and she pinned him down by his shoulders.

"I surrender! I surrender, Mintpaw!" Bushpaw yowled.

Mintpaw hopped, gleefully off of her clanmate.

"Good job, you fought well. Bushpaw may be bigger and older than you but you pulled it off using your youth to your advantge." Shinningtail's eyes shone with pride in her apprentice.


	4. Chapter 3 Part Two

Chapter 3 Part 2

"I think that we should be going back to camp, the sun is in mid-sky. If we get going back to camp, we will be just in time for the noon meal." Lilyblossom meowed as she came from the top of the tunnel to check the time.

Mintpaw, Bushpaw, Lilyblossom and Shinningtail all scrambled out of the tunnel and into the open air of the Skyclan territory.

_I felt like I was going to suffocate in that dirt and dust-filled hollow. I don't know how Windclan tunnelers stand it, underground in places like that all day. _Mintpaw thought, relieved, happily drinking in the fresh forest air. The sunlight flickered through gaps in the lush greenleaf leaves. The groups' steady pattern broke into a run. They darted through tree's when they saw it happen. A Shadowclan hunting patrol were chasing a squirrel. The squirrel ran over the border and Rootpaw, still injured from the border skirmish, followed it. He cleanly killed it and carried it over the border.

"Hey! That is Skyclan prey!" Lilyblossom challenged the patrol, fur bristling.

A Skyclan border patrol came up. A cat the Shadowclan warriors respected came in as the head of the patrol.

"I, I am so sorry Shimmerwillow. I-I p-promise I won't do i-it again." Rootpaw stuttered.

"I'll forgive you if you give the prey to our patrol, and tell your leader, Shadestar, what you **all** have done." Shimmerwillow sternly meowed, her sharp blue gaze piercing the opposing patrol.

Creampelt picked up the squirrel and tossed it over the border.

"There! Have your stupid squirrel!" Creampelt spat.

"Come on, we must get going." Shimmerwillow ordered. Her patrol and the training group ran at brisk pace to the camp, the warriors spotting the wide ravine.

Mintpaw braved something she or Bushpaw had never done, leap the whole ravine as the warriors did. She leaped strong, and found herself safe, at her paws at the bottom of the ravine.

_I did it. I really did it. _Mintpaw thought in surprize.

"Just in time, eh Shinningtail?" Runningwhisker greeted his former apprentice. "Why don't we share a plump vole?"

"Okay, as you say, mentor." Shinningtail teased as she walked off with her former mentor.

"Hey, Mintpaw, you wanna share some quail with Dovepaw?" Bushpaw asked.

"Sure, Dovepaw really needs some company besides ill or injured cats," Mintpaw purred.

Dovepaw sat by a pile a gravel away from the other cats sitting alone.

"Now'd be a good time to go talk to her." Bushpaw mewed as her walked over and and grabbed a quail from the fresh-kill cavern and brought it over to Dovepaw.

"Hello, Dovepaw." Mintpaw mewed.

"Hello.." Dovepaw murmered.

"Mintpaw! Bushpaw! Dovepaw!" Four tiny voices squeaked.

Dovepaw stood up, ears perked and ran off.

_Please, no. _Dovepaw wished._ Why now?_

She ran and hid away in a crack in a rock.

"You can't hide forever, Dovepaw." Bushpaw made her realize her clan needed her.

_Four born of Storm, will be the ones to save the clan's from utter destruction. With the power's of speed, skill, strength and intellect._

"I have to go, please, leave me be for now." Dovepaw sprinted over to her mentor, who was sharring a squirrel with Eaglewing.

"Feathersong, we have to talk," Dovepaw mewed urgently, with a glance at Eaglewing, she added. "In private."

"I'm apologize Eaglewing, something important has come up I guess." Feathersong meowed.

"What is it?" Feathersong asked.

"A prophecy, one above all." Dovepaw answered.

"Tell me." Feathersong awaited for Dovepaw's Prophecy.

"Four born of Storm, will be the ones to save the clan's fro utter destruction. With the power's of speed, skill, strength and intellect." Dovepaw mewed. "I am guessing it has something to do with Stormstar's kits. He has four,"

"I agree, and Thornkit has always been a fighter. He must resemble strength." Feathersong predicted.

"Sugarkit must be skill. But her and Mistkit could both resemble skill and intellect." Dovepaw inquired.

"That may be it, but Firekit then has to be speed. He always has been fast." Feathersong agreed.

"We must tell Lilacblossom and Stormstar about their kits destinies." Dovepaw meowed.

"I heard it all." Mistkit came up.

Dovepaw and Feathersong were shocked. They could barily even see the kit right in front of them. Her stony mist colored pelt blended in.

"So me and my littermate's are special?" Mistkit asked.

"Supposedly." Feathersong replied.

_The prophecy is right, Dovepaw, but you will know when the time comes to realise them. Thorns can not die of battle, Sugar can not die of poision, Mist can not be touched, and Fire can not be burned. _


	5. Chapter 4 Part One

Chapter 4 Part 1

"Thorns can not die of battle, Sugar can not die of poision, Mist can not be touched and Fire can not be burned." Dovepaw told her mentor.

"Very well. Those kit's will be apprentices in two moons. Shimmerwillow personaly asked to be Mistkit's mentor. She has liking to the kit." Feathersong added.

"Lilyblossom, Bushpaw, Shinningtail, Mintpaw, Rippledawn, Poppyclaw, Runningwhisker, Eaglewing, Feathersong, Dovepaw, Nightfall, Shimmerwillow, Hawkfall, Blazeclaw and Whitestorm, will be attending tonight's gathering." Stormstar addressed the clan from Skyrock's peak.

The sun began to set and the clan was getting ready for the first gathering of Greenleaf. Stormstar called for the cat's he named earlier that morning. The 15 cat's he named came racing out of dens, and across camp to the gravel path. The group raced up the ravine, and dissapeared into the forest.

Mistpaw felt the rush of excitment as she raced alongside her mentor. She quickly could smell the scents of the other clans as the aproached the Gathering Place. The sleek pelts of Riverclan clustered the middle right of the Place. The dark, pine smelling pelts belonged to Shadowclan, Mintpaw heard Bushpaw snarl at them. Those mange-pelts sat to the far left. Then the swift moorland heather smelling cats were Windclan. They sat in the middle left. The forest cats of Thunderclan sat to the far right. Skyclan slid into the middle, Stormstar taking the middle branch of the Great Silver Oak, with it's spead out branches. Nigthfall sat on the branch below her Leader.  
Shadestar glared at Stormstar, his gaze filled with hatred.

_Thank Starlcan there's a truce, or else Shadestar looks like he'd kill Stormstar. _Mintpaw thought, relieved.

Ripplestar was happily chatting with the Thunderclan leader, Branchstar. Swiftstar of Windclan began a friendly conversation with Stormstar. He politely replied and chatted with the young leader.

A Riverclan apprentice named Rushpaw came over to her.

"Hello! My name's Rushpaw, mind if I sit over here?" He asked in a rush.

"I don't mind." Mintpaw replied in a polite manner.

"So what is your name?" Rushpaw asked.

"My name is Mintpaw." She replied.

"That's a nice name, it's an honor to meet you..." He was cut off as his mentor, Pebbleheart, meowed.

"The leader's are going to speak!"

The two apprentice's hushed and Branchstar of Thunderclan was going to start the Gathering.

"Thunderclan is doing great, greenleaf has been good to us. Back in our camp, we have 4 new kits and with us we have 1 new apprentice! Bramblepaw!" Branchstar cheered.

"Bramblepaw, Bramblepaw!" The clan's cheered.

Bramblepaw ducked his head, embarrassed by the praise every cat was giving him.

"Ripplestar? Would you like to give your report on Riverclan?" Branchstar asked.

"Thank you, Riverclan has been doing well, the cold water in the rivers have brought fish to the surface and more abundant. We have had more fish in the fresh-kill pile than we needed. And like Branchstar said, greenleaf has brought kits, and 2 new kits have been born in Riverclan. We also would like to introduce a new warrior. Duckfeather!" Ripplestar cheered.

"Duckfeather, Duckfeather!" The 5 clans cheered.

Instead of cowering, he puffed out his chest and looked proud as the clans cheered his name.

"Stormstar, would you like to go next?" Ripplestar offered.

"Shadestar? Would you like to go next?" Stormstar asked the isolated, bad-tempered leader of Shadowclan.

"Fine!" Shadestar snapped at the other leaders.

"Shadowclan would like to say that Skyclan has been stealing our rightful prey!" He accused the ravine cats and shoved Swiftstar off the branch to swipe at Stormstar.

"Eek!" Swiftstar shrieked as she fell off the branch.

But then as Shadestar missed his target, he tumbled off the branch as Swiftstar scrambled back up. Puffing, she asked Stormstar, "Can I give my report on Windclan?"

"Yes, Swiftstar, go ahead." Stormstar nodded.

"Windclan has been doing great! The rabbits have come out of their burrows because of the warm weather and our hunter's have been able to catch plenty of them. The grass is growing well and 5 new kits have been born. And we have 1 new warrior and 1 new apprentice. Heathertail and Rabbitpaw!" Swiftstar excitedly meowed to the clans.

"Heathertail, Rabbitpaw! Heathertail, Rabbitpaw!" The clans cheered.

Shadestar hissed and jumped up to the branch and said, " Shadowclan is doing fine, we have 1 new warrior. Snaketooth."

"Snaketooth, Snaketooth." The clans cheered half-heartedly.

Stormstar began to speak, "Skyclan has been thriving greatly, and prey is plentiful among the ravine and forestland. Sadly, one of our elder's, Fernflower has died of Spring Greencough. But, we have 2 new warriors with us this gathering, Rippledawn and Poppyclaw!"

"Rippledawn, Poppyclaw! Rippledawn, Poppyclaw!" The clans cheered much more enthusiasticlly.

"Well then, at break of dawn, the truce is over. May Starclan light your paths." Stormstar leaped down from the branch and with a flick of his tail, summoned his clan and the left the Gathering Place.

"That sure was interesting, I know Shadestar never liked our clan after all, Stormstar was the one who took away his first life. But I never thought he would break the truce!" Hawkfall commented as the clan padded to camp.

Nightfall said nothing as she padded up to Stormstar.

"Stormstar, may I catch you alone back at camp?" She asked.

"Sure Nightfall." He replied as the ravine became slightly visable.

The group leaped down into camp as the remaining warriors, elders, and kits came up and asked what had happened at the gathering.

"Shadestar tried to attack Stormstar and shoved Swiftstar off the branch!" Bushpaw yelled out.

The clan seemed to erupt in chatter over this statment.

"Is it true, Stormstar? Did Shadestar try to attack you?" Cloudfall asked.

Stormstar nodded as the clan gasped. His four kits came bubbling up to him, Sugarkit sniffing him.

"Are you hurt, Daddy?" Sugarkit asked her eyes wide. "I can't tell."

"No, I'm fine." He nuzzled his little white kit.


	6. Chapter 4 Part Two

Chapter 4 Part 2

Little Sugarkit purred as her father nuzzled her. Nightfall flicked her tail as she waited for the Skyclan leader. He nuzzled Firekit and Thornkit too. Mistkit was hurt, seeing how her father was forgetting her.

"Stormstar!" Nightfall raised her voice a the clan leader.

He glanced up at his jet black deputy. Her blue-black eyes pierced his blue eyes. The rest of the clan looked at her like she was from a different clan. He tail was raised in athority. She looked like she was already leader of Skyclan. The clan knew she would make a great and respected leader someday. The kits scrambled away as Nightfall approached Stormstar. She flicked her tail and Poppyclaw was the only one who knew what she was going to do. He had been her apprentice. But her 3 siblings that had over shadowed her before cowered away from her. A small growl erupted in her throat.

"Fine." Stormstar followed his deputy to Skyrock.

The clan still stayed still as they saw the two cats head up to Stormstar's den inside of Skyrock.

The clan then did leave to go to sleep.

"Stormstar, Shadowfire told me about how Shadowclan was planning to attack Skyclan. She told me because she was trying to stop the fighting and wanted us to be ready." Nightfall told her leader.

"I will assign a night patrol now," Stormstar was cut off.

"I'll do it. And I'll lead it. I have the best nighttime vision of any cat in the clans. Even better than a Shadowclan night patroler." Nightfall interupted.

"Okay, Nightfall, be careful." Stormstar was nervous for his deputy. She may be stubborn at times. But a leader was not to doubt themselves. They were to trust themselves along with their clanmates. Nighttime was clear as day for Nightfall. Her eyes ajusted to it at a young age. It then became permanent.

"Rippledawn, Skyfall, Shinningtail, and Mintpaw! Follow me for night patrol!" Nightfall's loud voice echoed through camp.

The four cat's she called out came rushing at her. As her patrol gathered and left into the shadow's of night.

"There you are! Time to feel our claws as for the night we rule!" Sharptooth hissed at the night patrol.

"Yeah right!" Nigthfall hissed back as Sharptooth lunged at her.

Nightfall smoothly dodged his blow, he barely landed on his paws. She swerved around knocking Sharptooth off his paws. She kept her claws sheathed because of the truce.

"The truce lasts untill sunrise!" Nigthfall yowled as the cats of both clans listened. She then looked straight at Sharptooth. "You don't want Starclan to see your first act as a warrior to be braking the warrior code, do you?"

Sharptooth's paws shuffled.

"I kept my claws sheathed. Did you?" Nightfall stared at Sharptooth.

The new Shadowclan warrior didn't respond. He and the rest of his patrol turned around.

"Shadowclan has sure been one big problem. Riverclan, Windclan, and Thunderclan haven't given us the smallest problem. Shadowclan is just so aggressive." Shinnigtail commented.

"I know, it has been odd. They may always bother the other clans on their borders like this, too." Nightfall replied.

"If there wasn't a truce, I would've teared them apart for wildy attacking us for no reason." Mintpaw boldly hissed.

"Don't go getting all proud and self-consious." Skyfall teased.

"It wouldn't be good, Stormstar sure got on me for that." Rippledawn laughed.

"We need to go to the Riverclan border. Now be quiet," Nightfall turned her head and snapped at her patrol.

"Goodness, Nightfall. No need to be that harsh." Shinningtail murmered under her breath.

"What did you say, Shinningtail?" Nigthfall turned around and glared at the light gray she-cat.

Nightfall looked like a shadow in the dark of night in the cover of the trees. She stepped out of the branches into the clearing filled with silver moonlight. She looked like a leader. Stormstar sure picked the right deputy, an assertive, strong, loyal, and brave cat who had respect from the cats of all 5 clans. But Skyclan knew if something happened to Nightfall and another cat had to take her place, It'd be Shimmerwilllow. She was nearly as respected as Nightfall.

"Sorry." Shinningtail said, her tone laced with sarcasm.

"This isn't a time for fighting. Dawn'll be rising soon." Nightfall decided.

The group finished up their patrol and came back to camp. Nightfall raced over to the base of Skyrock to assign the morning patrols.

"Robinfeather, lead the morning hunting patrol, take Lilyblossom, Bushpaw, Hawkfall and Dawnlight with you. Also, Nettletail? Would you mind leading the border patrol? Take Whitestorm, Shimmerwillow and Blazeclaw with you." Nightfall announced.

Robinfeather and her patrol were already disappearing into the forest. Nettletail and his patrol followed close behind.

Shinningtail, Mintpaw, Skyfall and Rippledawn went to their nest's to rest after the midnight border patrol.

Nightfall also made her way to her own den, slightly tired.

"Now don't bother Nightfall or any of the sleeping cats from the night patrol, okay?" Lilacpetal's voice could be heard talking to her kits from the nursery. "And for you too." She told Goldentail's kits.

The eight current kits scuttled out of the nursery den. The boys and the she-toms, Mistkit and Rainkit, stormed out like lightning. Sugarkit and Snowkit were much calmer. They gently leaped out the den, and padded up to their rowdy littermates. A tussle started out bettween Lightningkit and Firekit.

"Hey! You two!" Sugarkit took charge. "Stop it! Listen up!" She yelled.

Sugarkit perked up her ears and her tail was up, she tried to have an athorized look like Nightfall. I was kind of working. The two tomcats stopped tussling to stare at Sugarkit. Lightningkit almost looked like his ruffled fur was getting hot looking at little Sugarkit. Firekit was proud of his shy littermate taking charge. Every cat knew Lightningkit would fight and do mousebrained things just so Sugarkit would notice him.

"Nice one, Sugarkit. Sure caught Lightningkit in his mousebrained tracks with you trying to act like Nightfall." Thornkit complemented his little sister.

"Thanks, I guess." Sugarkit nervously replied.


	7. Chapter 5 Part 1

lChapter 5 Part 1

"I, uh, I need to, uhm, go to the dirtplace!" Lightningkit studder rushed.

The golden furred kit rushed away with his thin tail streaming behind him.

"Wonder what that was about," Rainkit whispered into Sugarkit's left ear.

They saw the kit rush under the fragrant vines that grew over the enterance of the dirtplace.

"Woops! Sorry Soulpelt!" We heard Lightningkit appologize for ramming into the foggy white warrior.

"It's okay, but watch where your putting your paws next time, okay?" We all heard a sweet voice, definitly from a she-cat. This was Soulpelt's reply.

Soulpelt pushed the vines away from her sleek, slender, agile figure as she proudly walked her way over to Eaglewind, her mate. But, as she brushed past Snowkit, Sugarkit and Mistkit noticed the gray spots on her muzzle. Skyclan was awaiting the time when she and Eaglewind were going to retire to the Elder's Den.

"Oh, those kits are getting so big. By next moon, they'll be apprenticed and then who is going to get under our paws? Or pounce on our tails?" Tangledfern asked Vineleaf.

"Oh, don't you worry. My kits will be born in at least 2 moons." Dewyfield mewed happily to the two clan elders.

Dewyfield didn't look like she was exspecting kits yet, but the clan knew she was.

"That's for sure, Dewyfield." Vineleaf purred.

"I wonder who will mentor our kits," Slashclaw, Dewyfield''s mate, purred.

He rested his tail-tip on his mate's shoulder.

"Let all cats old enough to their own prey gather in the Skyshadow at Skyrock for a clan meeting!" Stormstar's recognizable meow rang through the camp, echoing in the dens.

Every cat, even Goldentail and Lilacpetal's kits came to sit down in Skyshadow. The shade was a relief from the extreme heat the was magnified on the rocky surface of the ravine.

"We are gathered here for an important situation. For our clan to live and thrive in peace, there must be war." Stormstar gazed over the waiting cats of his clan. "Shadowclan has threatened Skyclan one to many times, and Nightfall will tell you another piece of the information you must know about Shadowclan crossing the line with threats," He nodded as his deputy emurged from the darkness under the great Skyrock. As Nightfall's jet-black, sleek body leaped up to the massive over-hanging rock.

She walked passed her leader, and spoke words laced with worry and athority, "At the most recent gathering, Shadowfire, the deputy of Shadowclan, told me about a planned attack on Skyclan's camp. She said that she wanted to stop the attack and thought all of it, the border skirmishes, the attempted raids, haven't you all noticed? Shadowfire, the _deputy_ for Starclan's sake, hasn't been in any of the attacks, because she wants to _stop them_, if we retaliate by fighting in Shadowclan's camp, maybe Shadowfire and her followers will help take down the evil cats in her clan." Nightfall announced with a tinge of sorrow in her voice, Shadowfire was her half-sister. Her father had betrayed Skyclan, and went to Shadowclan and had kits with Pinesparkle. A beautiful pine colored she-cat that had been killed by Swiftstream as she had called Hazeclaws, Shadowfire and Nightfall's biological father, a traitor to the warrior code. They both had 'fathers', but they weren't biological.

_"Your a traitor! Starclan is, is , HAS to reject you! They, they have to! You are a disgrace! I may be Riverclan, not Shadowclan or Skyclan, but it matters to me! You fithy, piece of fox dung! It's time to take everything dear to you, away! Soon I will!" _Swiftstream's old, yet famliar voice rang through Nightfall's ears.

Nightfall shuddered at the memory flooding her mind, she turned and jumped off the rock. Stormstar was surprised at Nightfall's suden action. He took a few pawsteps forward to where Nightfall has just recided from.

"Tonight, we will launch our attack. Nettletail will lead the right flank of our first battle patrol. Blazeclaw will lead the left flank. Shimmerwillow and Shinningtail will lead the next wave. Then, Nightfall will lead the final wave. Her group will head through Hazeclaw's tunnel, and enter Shadowclan's camp from the back. She and her group will find Shadowfire among the chaos and get her and the Shadowclan rebels to fight in the last stand. Hopefully, it'll be enough to teach them not to mess with Skyclan!" Stormstar yowled.

"For Skyclan!" The chant echoed through the humongous canyon-like ravine.

Stormstar looked at his determined, loyal cats. He looked at them and saw Hazeclaws. Especially his brother, Slashclaw. The only good thing that really came out of Hazeclaws' betrayal was the attack tunnel Nightfall's group was using was made by him. At night, Hazeclaws would sneak out, dig through dirt, and then wash off, dry off and head back to camp before dawn. He finished his tunnel and would spend most nights with Pinesparkle. She then was going to have kits and he transfered clans.

_I am acting stupid, Slashclaw wouldn't, couldn't betray us like his brother did, could he? _Stormstar pondered.

"Dismissed for Noontime!" Stormstar called out as he slowly hopped down the gravel slope and to the the ledge on the edge of his den.

Stormstar slithered through the vines that grew as a shield across the enterance of Stormstar's den. He padded over to his small personal fresh-kill heap. It had one thrush, a squirrel and mouse. A pile of blackberries, wild strawberries, raspberries, and mulberries sat next to it. A small leak and hollowed out chip in the rock was half-filled with rock-spring water. He tucked the squirrel under his chin and grabbed a bundle of mixed berries in his jaws. He padded to his moss, feather and lamb's ear leaf nest. He heard his clanmates gathering in the cool shade below his den. Using his claws he sliced the fur off the side of the squirrel and bit the juicy, raw meat. He ate a few berries after swallowing the squirrel's meat. His ears perked up as he heard a shril cry of a cat.

"Snakes!" It was the high-pitched squeel of Lilyblossom.

Stormstar immediatly came out of the shield-like vines, standing on the den-ledge. He saw the tan-brown copperhead snake slithering towards Snowkit. Her white fur attracted to gigantic snake. Before he could move to save the kit, a blur of gray fur snatched the kit as the copper snake lunged.

"Thanks, Mistkit." Snowkit replied, though looking very shaken up.

_ Mistkit!?_ Stormstar was alarmed. He had thought it was Shimmerwillow who dove to save Snowkit. But it was his kit. _My kit..I think I know why she did it..._ He thought sadly, he had been ignoring her, and she wanted him so badly to notice her. He had failed, not his clan, but his very own kit.

_ Mist always falls, but a misted star will reign above all in triumph, and will forever lead them into greatness. _Pearlpaw had spoke to him years ago, she had been his sister. She sacrificed herself to save him when they were apprentices, Darkfeather of Windclan killed her. 16 moons later, Mintpaw, Sagekit, Rootkit and Spicekit were born. Sadly, Mintpaw was the only one alive after Greencough killed Sagekit, Rootkit, and Spicekit. He looked at her deep brown eyes, and saw the wishfulness in her gaze, now of which looked very cold.


	8. Chapter 5 Part 2

Chapter 5 Part 2

Stormstar looked away from his kit's cold gaze. He then remembered the copperhead in the camp. He felt his musles ripple under his sleek, ginger pelt. He leaped off the edge of the ledge of his den. He felt slick scales below his claws. A sudden sharp pain seared his foreleg. He looked down to see a bleeding bite right above his paw. He yelped in pain as Shimmerwillow and her sister, Shinningtail both tackled the snake. Shinningtail pinned down the tail of the copper snake while Shimmerwillow slammed her out-stretched claws into the snakes head. Stormstar felt dizzy and fell onto the stone ground. Black spots danced at the edge of his vision. Then all he saw was black.

"Is he okay?" The voice sounded familiar, but very distant.

_Lilacpetal..._ his fogged brain was able comprehend the she-cat's voice.

His whole body seemed to start to be rejuvinated, he managed to get to his paws. He watched as a trail of starry mist appeared before him. Before he could even begin to move, his body was running up the trail. His head turned around, and he saw the once gigantic ravine, look smaller than an ant. He saw many star-pelted cats surronding the end of the starry pathway. He reached the top, and recognized the cats waiting for him.

"Shardpelt! Pearlpaw! Sagekit, Rootkit, Spicekit!" He ran over to his deceased siblings and former mentor.

"Stormstar!" The three Starclan kits ran over to their living brother.

Shardpelt stepped forward when a Starclan she-cat he knew came to usher the kits away from their living brother.

"Now come along, Fernflower going to tell you about when your brother's kits were born," It was the sweet voice of Blisspaw.

"Blisspaw, Bushpaw and Dovepaw dearly miss you, remember that." Stormstar commented to the young pale yellow she-cat.

Her blue eyes still looked like the shimmering water they were when she was alive and well in Skyclan's ranks.

"Tell them I wish them well," Blisspaw replied.

A cat appeared from the starry field.

"Stormstar, you may know why you're here. If not, you are here becasue of the snake. The snakebite's venom quickly made you lose a life. The snake bit an important part of your body, you couldn't stand because your musles were paralized from the poision that spead through them. Use the remander of the courage I gave you, to rid your clan of this immediate threat." It was Sripestar, his predesesor of leadership.

"I will, Stripestar, I won't let you, Starclan or Skyclan down." He vowed.

"But if you say Skyclan, is Mistkit not one of them?" Stripestar asked. "This kit holds Skyclan on her shoulders. She has tryed to please you, but you have forgotten. Vows to your clan, vow to her."

"Stripestar? Where are you! What did you mean?" Stormstar felt himself come back to reality, confused at Stripestar's words.

"Stormstar, thank Starclan. For a minute I thought it was your last life." Lilacpetal meowed with relief.

"Dont worry." He replied, "I have 5 more to go." He added, whispering in his mates ear.

"Oh," Lilacpetal nodded.

Stormstar stood up, he felt dizzy and weak on his paws. He remembered what Stripestar told him.

_The snakebite's venom quickly made you lose a life. The snake bit an important part of your body, you couldn't stand because your musles were paralized from the poision that spead through them. _

He saw the copper figure stand out like a twoleg pelt-den. He felt the strength of Stripestar's life of courage rejuvinate his musles. He bounded down to the floor of the ravine. Bounding once again, he leaped up to the over-hanging rock, Skyrock.

"Shimmerwillow, Shinningtail, and Nightfall! Stay where you are, but listen to my instuctions. Shimmerwillow, you take the tail of the copperhead. Nightfall, take the left side and Shinningtail, you take the right. I'll take it head-on." Stormsatr called from the tip of the cliff-hang.

"On my call," Stormstar yowled. He waited as he saw the 3 she-cats pressed down in a leaping-crouch on the ledges of their dens.

"Attack!" He yowled as he jumped down from the tall overhang.

He spotted the black and gray warriors doing the same. The copperhead snake sensed the charging attackers, and coiled up. It's body looked like a spring. It would seem natural for a cat to feel afraid charged head-on at a venomous snake that could charge and kill him with its poison. And Stormstar was, and that's what courage meant. It meant not to be fearless and reckless, but to brave your fears, keep them alive, to keep you going strong.

"Shinningtail! Look out!" Her sister, Shimmerwillow yelled out.

The snkae had whipped it's head around and nearly got the light gray she-cat.

The hissing then died out and the once threatening creature, looked weak and limp as it's corpse thudded to the rocky bottom of the gorge. Silence was all you could hear.

"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather in Skyshadow at Skyrock for a clan meeting!" He yelled as he padded over to the cliff-edge.


	9. Chapter 6 Part 1

Chapter 6 Part 1

"I sure wonder what this is about, don't you?" Whitestorm asked Blazeclaw, her brother.

"Well, it might be about the snake." Blazeclaw replied.

"I highly doubt it's only 'bout that, Blazeclaw. But it'll have some relevance." Whitestorm answered.

The rest of the clan including the two senior warriors gathered in the shade of the cliff-hang's shadow. Mintpaw, Bushpaw, and Dovepaw all looked excited. Dovepaw finally seemed like a young, relaxed cat, she normally seemed like she was a leader in a Starclan life of humility.

"Dovepaw, Bushpaw, and Mintpaw, please step forward." The noble leaders' voice shone with pride for his little sister.

The three apprentices steped forward.

"Feathersong, do you think that Dovepaw has learned the noble ways of a Skyclan medicine cat and learned the ways of both codes?" Stromstar asked his faithful medicine cat.

"Yes, I do." Feathersong replied.

"Well then, from now on untill you go to Starclan, Dovepaw, you will now be known as Dovewing. Skyclan honors your healing skill, intelligence, and humility." Stormstar cheerfully yowled.

"Dovewing! Dovewing!" The clan cheered.

Dovepaw flattened her ears and then ducked her head down in embarrassment.

"Now, Lilyblossom, do you think that Bushpaw has learned the honorable skills of a true Skyclan warrior and has learned the ancient ways of the clan?" Stormstar asked the pinkish-white warrior.

"Yes! I believe so completly." Lilyblossom replied happily. Her first apprentice had become a noble warrior.

"Well then Bushpaw, untill your days in Skyclan's noble ranks is over, you'll be known as Bushbreeze. Skyclan honors your strength, skill, and battle readiness." Stormstar said to the young cat.

"Bushbreeze! Bushbreeze!" The cats yowled in happiness.

Bushbreeze puffed out his chest and looked up to the sky's above him.

"Starclan, I won't let you down, and I would never let Skyclan down." He vowed.

"Now, our final warrior naming, Shinningtail? Do you believe that Mintpaw has learned the honorable skills of a true Skyclan warrior and has learned the ancient ways of the clans?" Stormstar recited the ancient naming of a warrior.

"Yes, I do Stormstar." Shimmingtail seemed as if she were humming with excitement. Her first apprentice was a great one. Her sister had already trained an apprentice when she was a young warrior.

"Well then, my sister, untill you're claimed by Starclan, you'll be known as Mintfur. Skyclan honors your speed, skill, and battle reflects." Stormstar congratulated his little sister.

"Mintfur! Mintfur!" The clan chanted loudly for their newest warrior.

"Dovewing! Bushbreeze! Mintfur! Dovewing! Bushbreeze! Mintfur!" The clan yowled for their newest warriors.

MIntfur felt like she was spinning, her dreams were unfolding in front of her.

_Maybe I could follow in my brother's pawsteps someday..._ Mintfur thought as she felt the energy rush in front of her.

Dovewing was standing stunned in her humble manner.

_Does she have dreams of greatness? Through all of her humble ways? I doubt it__..._ Mintfur questioned herself.

She saw Dovewing's brother looking proud and determined.

_The vigil__..._ Mintfur remembered, she knew sleep was now a thing of the past.

"May Starclan accept these fine warriors and medicine cat," Stormstar announced. "And, may Bushbreeze and Mintfur's vigil begin as soon as the sun reaches the edge of the ravine. Dovewing will head to the Moonshard alone, for the first time tonight, for her confirmation with Starclan. Also Eaglewind and Soulpelt are officially moving to the elders' den."

Every cat knew it was going to happen soon, and now it was confirmed, Eaglewind and

"Skyclan is honored to have had your service to our mighty clan, may you have peaceful resting 'till you go to the stars above with our ancestors. Eaglewind, Soulpelt, you have gone through so much sorrow, loss, and triumph. You have been wonderful parents to both Mintfur and I. You deserve a wonderful time as a clan elder." Stormstar nodded to his parents who were sitting near the other elders, Tangledfern and Vineleaf.

"Meeting dismissed!" he yowled, bringing us all back to a stricken sense of alert.

The cats of Skyclan left the shade of Skyshadow, and Stormstar leaped down from his perch, he twisted inward and landed on his den-ledge.

"Rainkit! Stay still so I can get the gravel and grit from your ears!" It was Goldentail trying to calm down her rambunctious kit.

"But, Goldentail!" Rainkit whined.

"Hush!" Goldentail warned her kit.

"Hmph." Rainkit replied, looking away from her mother. "Hey!"

Goldentail has started licking behind her daughter's ear.

"There, you can go now." Goldentail said as she licked the grit off her tongue on her paw.

Rainkit shot out of the nursery like a clumsily pursued squirrel. She nearly fell on top of Dovewing, who was heading to the medicine den to prepare traveling herbs for her nightlight journey.

"Hello, Dove_wing_." Rainkit yelled behind her as she passed the medicine cat.

Dovewing slightly chuckled under her breath.

"Silly kits," Dovewing giggled.

She continued on her route to the medicine den. Walking up the gravel ramp, she popped into the medicine den.

"Hey Rainkit, I never thought you'd make it away from Goldentail." It was Lightningkit teasing his younger sister.

"Hey, you wouldn't have even survived it if you were the one who Goldentail was trying to lick grit off!" Rainkit sneered at her brother.

"Yeah, I would have made it out in better shape than you!" He sneered right back at her.

The fur behind Rainkit's ears and the back of her head was all ruffled.

"It's not my-"Rainkit's rant was cut short by being thudded on by Thornkit.

"Sorry!" Thornkit said as he got up, his piercing claws tugging at Rainkit's pelt.

"Ouch! Don't you remember that your claws are sharper than the thorns you were named after?!" Rainkit scorned her close friend.

"I am really sorry Rainkit!" Thornkit tried to reason with his clanmate.

"It's okay. Just watch where you put your claws next time," she replied.

Thornkit shot off towards the elders' den to visit his grandparents. Mistkit, Sugarkit and Firekit were already there, talking to Soulpelt. Eaglewind was nowhere in sight.

"Where's Eaglewind?" Thornkit asked curiously.

He really wanted to hear stories about battles Eaglewing had fought in when he was a warrior. Eaglewind has promised he'd tell Thornkit sometime.

"He's at the Dirtplace." A foggy white she-cat replied.

"Oh," Thornkit replied.

"He'll be back anytime soon, don't you worry." Soulpelt smiled.

At then the sun's edge touched the ravine.

"Suntouch!" Tonight it was Blazeclaw announcing the start of the evening.

"Tansy, honey, mint…" Dovewing murmered as she heard Blazeclaw's call.

She quickly nibbled at the bundle she had made, leaf and all. As she walked down the hard to grip slope, she headed for the camp exit.

"Good luck, Dovewing." It was Feathersong.

"Thank you Feathersong, I appreciate it." She replied to her former mentor's comment.

"May Starclan light your path, Dovewing." Mintfur whispered as she went to Skyrock's peak for her vigil with Bushbreeze.

Dovewing nodded in response and called out; "See all of you at noontime."

She padded away for her first alone journey to the Moonshard. She felt her pelt prickle with excitement. Scrambling up the cliff-face, she made it to the beginning of Skyclan's territory. Her paws lead her straight through the trees of the forest. She saw the prairie clearing of her territory. She headed for the sweet golden priaire grass grass. She crossed the border and into Windclan's territory. Heading through the fragrant moorland, she then felt herself being pummeled to the prairie dirt.

"What is a Skyclan cat like you doing on Windclan territory, seems like your clan is sending nothing more than a weak apprentice to infiltrate our camp, huh?" It was Wrenclaw.

"I am Dovewing, Skyclan medicine cat, I was given my full name today. I am heading to the Moonshard for my Starclan confirmation." She replied, then added, "Please get off me, now."

"Fine," Wrenclaw growled.

"Wrenclaw!" A golden furred cat caught up to her clanmate. "I saw you pin down a cat and I can't believe you can't recognize Skyclan's medicine cat apprentice!"

"Heathertail," Wrenclaw tried to make up for his mistake.

"I'm now Dovewing, Golden priaire grasstail." Dovewing told Windclan's deputy.

"Oh, congrats! I wish you well on your travels, unlike _some cat over here_." Heathertail growled at Wrenclaw.

"Sorry, Dovewing. You may proceed." Wrenclaw, embarrassed, sulked away and into a clump of golden priaire grass.

"Wrenclaw's very grumpy. It's normal for him." Heathertail told Dovewing as she walked away into the golden priaire grass back toward her grumpy clanmate.

"For a moment, I thought I was going to be crow-food." Dovewing whispered, relieved.

She continued padding on through the soft grassland. She heard a hawk caw and circle above her.

"Hawk!" Dovewing yelled as she dashed into a clump of tall grasses.

"Hawk?" A black and white cat appeared out of some over-grown weeds.

A small patrol followed the black and white tom.

_Gorsefur… I recognize him from a gathering, he's a new warrior. _Dovewing recalled.

"Who said that?" It was Talonhawk.

"It didn't sound like Windclan." Yellowtail commented.

"I'll shred the intruder!" It was eager little Longpaw.

"Show yourself!" Gorsefur demanded.

Dovewing slipped out of the tall grass.

"It's me, Dovewing. I'm Skyclan's medicine cat. I'm on my first solo journey to the Moonshard." Dovewing told the patrol.

She saw the rabbit next to Yellowtail.

_They must be a hunting patrol. _Dovewing thought.

"Then you can go on ahead, Dovewing. I see you must've gotten your full name, last gathering, you were still Dovepaw." Gorsefur said.

"Now, Longpaw, you never just attack someone who's in our territory. They might be a medicine cat like Dovewing." Dovewing heard Yellowtail tell her apprentice as she padded away.

She saw the moorland grass seem darker, and so was the sky. Dovewing could see the outline of the moon.

"I better hurry if I want to get the the Mooncave before the moon's in place." Dovewing talked to herself under her breath.

Her steady walk burst into a Skyclan striding run. Golden priaire grass smacked and whipped at her muzzle. She could see the brim of the Cliffstones. She darted out of Windclan territory and into the free. She saw the stone barriers of the Twoleg dens in the distance. She saw the huge Thunderpath. She took a deep breath and ran. The weird texture of the Thunderpath below her paws felt awkward even for a cat used to padding on stone all her life.

She then felt soft grass under her pads. She felt something in her fornt left pad. She hobbled over into the shelter of some tree roots to hide from the monsters. She looked at her pad and saw a black stone form the Thunderpath's surface wedged in her pad. Blood was welling up and she immediatly licked the blood away. She kept licking and loosened the pebble, and when it fell out and the blood that had built-up behind the stone rushed out.

_Cobwebs…I need cobwebs…_ Dovewing felt her tail brush against something.

_A cobweb!_ Dovepaw wrapped it up around her tail and brought her tail right around to her paw. She hooked the cobweb with her claw, and wrapped it around her bleeding paw. She limped her way around.

She found an Acmella bud, she scraped off some tree bark, and squished a bud into the bark. She dipped her paw into the bud mush. She smothered her paw into the mush and wrapped it up with a leafy wide stem. She felt her paw numb and walked off.

Dovewing looked up, the moon was almost aligned. She ran as quickly as she could. She then found the Cliffstone's slope. She saw the first jump and leaped. The other jumps were easy, especially for a Skyclan cat.

"The Mooncave…" Dovewing breathed in awe.

She'd seen it before many times, but it still was amazing. She leaped into the great cave's mouth. The water ring circling the Moonshard was glittering in the nightlight. A small bound over the water lead her to the hollow dips around the Moonshard.

"Oh, Starclan. Please accept me as Skyclan's medicine cat." Dovewing spoke as she settled into one of the mossy dips.

As soon as she layed down, bright light blinded her vision. The moon had settled into the cave. Dovewing's pelt shone and glittered like a Starclan warrior. She closed her eyes and touched her muzzle to the shimmering stone.

Then, Dovewing began to dream.


	10. Chapter 6 Part 2

Chapter 6 Part 2

Warning

This chapter includes spoilers for Crookedstar's Promise and from Into the Wild through The Last Hope by Erin Hunter.

Skip this chapter if you don't want spoilers!

Don't say I didn't warn you!

Dovewing saw herself in the heart of Shadowclan's camp.

_The battle… Stormstar forgot all about his plans to attack Shadowclan! With the naming ceremonies and everything he got distracted! _Dovewing worried.

She heard a yowl and spun around, seeing the attack unfold. She saw a Shadowclan cat fall under the paws of a Skyclan warrior. Blood ran to her paws. She then felt like she was drowning in blood. She gasped and heard Blisspaw's voice speak to her; "You may believe in war for peace, but Shadowclan's vengance will call you weak. You will be at crossroads, but the kin of Storm shall save you from this eternal war…" Blisspaw's voice faded into echoes and the blood flood flowed away. Four figures, one gray, one white, one crimson, and one white with black stripes.

_Mistkit, Sugarkit, Firekit and Thornkit?! _Dovewing was surprised.

But then the image flashed away and a starry path appeared from the nothingness. Dovewing followed the path up to a starry cloud. 4 cats were on the cloud. She looked and saw 2 cats crouched on each side of the cloud.

"This'll never be over! Firestar!" A dark tabby tom hissed at a bright flame colored tom.

"Tigerstar, you knew Bluestar would find out soon enough! But exile for your un-forgivable crimes wasn't enough, was it!" The orange cat, Firestar, hissed at the dark tom, Tigerstar.

"Crookedstar, you made a promise, and you DIDN'T KEEP IT!" An orange and white she-cat hissed over at a brown tom, Crookedstar, she called him.

"Mapleshade! When will you ever give up about this promise I made when I was a young cat?" Crookedstar tried to reason with the she-cat, Mapleshade.

"Tigerstar and Mapleshade are cats out for revenge, against certain leaders of certain clans." Blisspaw appeared next to her sister, Dovewing.

"Why are they out for revenge?" Dovewing asked her Starclan sister.

"Well, Mapleshade is after Crookedstar because of when he was a new apprentice, Crooked_paw_. Mapleshade found him, and he thought she was a Starclan warrior. She asked him to make a promise; Put your clan above all else, put aside your own feelings and wants for the good of your clan." Blisspaw answered.

"But, what does a harmless promise like that affect Mapleshade going after Crookedstar?" Dovewing asked.

"Well, Mapleshade made it that any feelings that aren't for Riverclan as a whole, she'd never approve of. Crookedstar's mother, Rainflower, died because Mapleshade killed her by causing Rainflower to slip into the rapids of the river, hitting her head on a rock as she was trying to escape the dog. Then, Crookedstar's mate, Willowbreeze, died while kitting because Mapleshade wanted her to die. Only because she was part of Crookedstar's personal feelings, not general feelings. Then, even while he was leader, she still haunted him. She never would forget his promise. The reason in truth that she came after him? It was because when she died, she had been Shellheart, Crookedstar's father's mate, but he had told her she had his love forever, even if he was pure Riverclan, and she was pure Thunderclan. But, he then took a different mate, Rainflower, and had two kits, Oakkit and Stormkit. She hated Rainflower and Shellheart. But Starclan planned this, and Stormkit was destined for great things. She had so much hatred, she found a way to Stormkit, or Crookedkit." Blisspaw replied.

"Who is Stormkit?" Dovewing asked.

"Did you think a queen would name her kit Crookedkit originally? No, Stormkit and Oakkit had snuck out of the Riverclan camp and Stormkit was trying to cross the stepping stones back in Great Rock Place. But, Stormkit slipped and broke his jaw along the stones. His mother then ignored him, called him a disgrace, and asked Hailstar, the leader at the time, to rename him Crookedkit. And then he became Crookedpaw, then Crookedjaw, then Crookedstar." Blisspaw answered.

"But, why is Firestar and Tigerstar here, too?" Dovewing questioned her sister,

"Well, you see for quite a few reasons. One is that Mapleshade's a Dark Forest cat of Thunderclan, and so is Tigerstar. Also, because Mapleshade is from Thunderclan, Firestar is too. Then, Oakheart, Crookedstar's brother, had been mates with the Thunderclan leader, Bluestar, who is connected to Firestar personally because Firestar was her successor." Blisspaw replied.

"Why does Tigerstar hate Firestar?"

"Well, Tigerstar, back in this time, Tigerclaw, wanted power. So, when Bluestar had sent him, his apprentice, Ravenpaw, Firestar's close friend, and Redtail, Bluestar's long-time deputy, out for a border patrol Tigerclaw saw opportunity. When they encountered Oakheart, Crookedstar's deputy, on Sunningrocks, a span of rocks back in Great Rock Place, they battled. But, Redtail ended up killing Oakheart, but Tigerclaw killed Redtail. He wanted power, so what better way than getting rid of the deputy? But, Ravenpaw, covered in blood, Okaheart's, Redtail's and his own, but Tigerclaw was going to kill Ravenpaw if he told anyone. So, when Redtail's body was brought back, Tigerclaw thought Bluestar was going to pick him as deputy, but instead chose Lionheart. But, when Firestar, back then, Fireheart, found out and Tigerclaw's secret was revealed that he killed Redtail, Bluestar exiled him after Lionheart's death was also linked to him. Fireheart became the new deputy. But, he found a place in Shadowclan as the deputy of Nightstar. He then found the power he so was bloodthirsty for. Nightstar then lost his last life and Tigerclaw became Tigerstar." Blisspaw explained.

"But, why am I here?" Dovewing wondered.

"There are the four of Storm who will be targeted like Mapleshade and Tigerstar targeting Crookedstar and Firestar. But the mental and physical torture will be equal and the burdens unmatched. They do hold the power and might of Starclan in their young paws." Blisspaw said as her figure faded the cloud and the 4 cats faded.

As for Dovewing, who'd been floating in the air with Blisspaw, drifted downwards. Then the ground was fading too. Dovewing ran down the starry, crumbling path and found herself back in the ever familiar ravine. But her eyes snapped open, and lead her in a place otherwise.

She remembered she was inside of the Mooncave, and she stood up. He legs were stiff, and when she turned around, she saw that it was quarter until noonsky!

She ran out of the cave and onto the first stone pillar and made her way to the slope. She ran to the Thunderpath. Holding her breath, she checked the path. The coast was clear, and she bolted across the path and straight into Windclan's territory. She teared right through the golden grasses and across the hilly land. She could see the patch of heather and gorse that was in Skyclan territory. She was surprised that she didn't see a patrol approach her. She crossed the scent line and was into her own territory. She then felt the hunger pangs.

_Good thing it's almost noontime. _Dovewing smiled.

She saw the grass turn to gravel, and spotted the ravine. She yowled in happiness.

"It's Dovewing! She's back!" Mintfur cried out.

"Just in time…" Dovewing sighed in relief.


	11. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Spoilers over!

(Okay maybe minor ones…)

Stormstar leaped up to Skyrock. He padded to the peak and yelled out to Skyclan;

"May noontime start when the elders, queens and kits have taken their bite." Stormstar announced as he jumped down to meet with his clan.

"Tangedfern? Vineleaf? Soulpelt? Do you want me do get you all some fresh-kill?" Eaglewind asked his mate and new denmates.

"Eaglewind, I'll get some fresh-kill for Vineleaf and myself. You get some fresh-kill for Tanglefern and yourself. But thanks for the all for one offer." His mate, Soulpelt, purred as she brushed her pelt against him.

The two mates left the elders' den and went over to the high cavern, which its tempting scent wafted down to the cats below.

"Here you go, Eaglewind, Soulpelt." It was Mintfur, she gave the clans newest elders each a sparrow.

Eaglewing picked up the two sparrows, one for himself and for Tangledfern. Sparrow was Tangledfern's favorite kind a fresh-kill. Soulpelt made her way up to the cavern and grabbed vole and blackbird. Vineleaf loved a sweet vole, and with the recently occurring fatigue Vineleaf was having, she'd love a treat to cheer her up. As Soulpelt found her way down, with the two pieces of prey limply dangling from her jaws, she padded over below the ledge. With a small leap, she took her prey over to the beige, green eyed elder she-cat.

"Why thank you, Soulpelt. I haven't had a vole in nearly a moon. Ever since the only apprentices we had became warriors." Vineleaf commented as Soulpelt dropped the vole in front of her.

"Your very welcome, Vineleaf. Your lucky Bushbreeze caught this, voles have been pretty hard to find as of late." Soulpelt told her fellow elder.

"Here you go, Goldentail!" Mintfur dropped a plump quail at the golden queens' paws.

"Thank you, I'll go share this with Lilacpetal." Goldentail ran off with the quail in her jaws, her tail streaming behind her.

Goldentail and Lilacpetal's kits all were bustling about in the fresh-kill den. Snowkit and Sugarkit were back in the nursery, sharing a small squirrel. Rainkit and Lightningkit were arguing over a small pigeon. Thunderkit and Firekit already picked up a rabbit and dragged it out of the cavern. It landed on the ground below with a thump, nearly landing on Shinningtail, who was passing by.

"Hey! Watch where your prey falls!" Shinnigtail called up, murmering, she added; "I sure don't wanna be the warrior who gets attacked by fresh-kill."

"Sorry, Shinningtail!" Firekit called down.

Thunderkit grabbed a sparrow, flung it over the edge onto the stone ground. He jumped down to retrive it, and took it over to Mistkit, who was sitting alone in a patch of sunlight. He thought her fur looked as if it were shimmering like the stars of Silverpelt. He felt his own pelt feel hot like sun-warmed stones.

"Mistkit, would you mind sharing a sparrow with me?" Thunderkit asked, trying to look calm.

"Why not? I'd save prey for the appre- warriors." Mistkit slipped up, forgetting the clan had no more apprentices since Mintfur and Bushbreeze's naming ceremony.

The two kits plucked the feathers of the bird from its skin, and torn away the skin, revealing juicy, raw sparrow meat. The tender flesh felt soft and smooth on Mistkit's toungue. The two kits quickly finished their meal, oblivious to the fact their pelts had been brushing and tails were lightly twined.

"Look who's gonna be mates," Lightningkit whispered to his sister, Rainkit.

"Tonight is the Gathering!" The cats heard Stormstar call.

"Here are the cats who'll be coming; Myself, Nightfall, Feathersong, Dovewing, Tangledfern, Vineleaf, Soulpelt, Eaglewind, Mintfur, Bushbreeze, Whitestorm, Blazeclaw, Shinningtail, Lilyblossom, Dewyfield, Robinfeather, Poppyclaw, Hawkfall, Cloudfall, Nettletail, Skystreak, and Runningwhisker." Stormstar announced to his clan.

"Hah, look who's not coming this time." Whitestorm teased her brother, Sharpfang.

"Oh, shut up." He growled back at her.

"Suntouch!" Shinningtail yowled 2 sun phases after the Gathering announcement.

The Skyclan Gathering patrol gathered, and Stormstar said; "Sharpfang is in charge of the camp while Nightfall and I are gone."

The group of 22 cats made their way through their own territory. The Tree Ring was in sight, the tall birches from the Riverclan territory, and the oak of Thunderclan could be seen tall.

Skyclan raced into the empty clearing, settling into comfortable spots, many of Skyclan now migrated to the trees. But some stayed with the soft grass under their tough pads. The elders curled up in the Moss Corner. It was a large patch of fresh moss that the elders of every clan liked to sit in. The apprentices normally migrated to the Clawmark Circle. This was a small area the apprentices showed off their skills in, and many clawmarks had been made. The warriors gathered all over, and the deputies sat below their leaders, the medicine cats gathered in the Herb Patch. Sweet Sadge, Lavender, and Mint grew in this sacred patch the medicine cats shared toungues in. Many times they would gather there every half moon and then trek to the Mooncave.

Paws thrumming the ground light and swift as rabbits could be heard heading right for the Gatheringplace.

"Hello, Stormstar. I see Skyclan was early as normal I assume?" It was Swiftstar, the pale yellow she-cat clumsily leaped up to the branch.

"Careful there, Swiftstar." Stormstar said as he went to steady the young Windclan leader.

"Sorry, I'm just not used to jumping in trees or balancing on branches yet. In Windclan, we don't do much of that." The young leader, who smelled of sweet heather, apologized.

"Incoming!" A cat yelled as a group of sleek, damp cats came into the clearing.

It was Riverclan, Ripplestar at the head. The sleek, gray-blue furred she-cat leaped up to the branch. Stormstar watched her try and get her claws sunk into the Silver Oak's branch. She almost lost her grip, and nearly tumbled to the ground. Her deputy, Brookspring, used her powerful forepaws to heave her leader back up.

"Thank you, Brookspring." Ripplestar whispered.

Brookstream nodded in response.

Shadowy figures came near the Gatheringplace, but, a she-cat leaped up to the branch. Not a black tom, but a dark grey she-cat.

"Where's Shadestar?" Stormstar asked.

"Shadestar lost his last life in a skirmish with Thunderclan. So, I went to get my nine lives. I am no longer, Shadowfire, I am Shadowstar." The noble she-cat replied. "I am glad that it wasn't Skyclan who attacked. Shadowclan would never have been able to defend our camp."

"I am glad Shadowclan now has a sensible leader, Shadestar was getting old and fogged." Stormstar said over Swiftstar's shoulder.

"Now where'd Thunderclan go?" Ripplestar fumed.

"Right here!" A brown tom called out, as he jumped to the branch, balancing fine.

"Let the Gathering begin!" Stormstar yowled as every clan was in sight.

"Shadowstar, would you like to begin?" Stormstar asked the newest leader.

"I would, Stormstar." She nodded to Skyclan's leader.

"Now you may be wondering why I am up here, and not Shadestar. Well, sadly two days ago Shadowclan got into a fight with Thunderclan. We deafeated them, but Shadestar lost his last life. And Shadowclan's new deputy is now Snakeclaw. Hunting has been good and we have had two new apprentices. Bramblepaw and Scalepaw!" Shadowstar cheered.

"Bramblepaw! Scalepaw!" The calns chanted the young cats' names.

The two sibling's, one black, one brown and white, ducked their heads down in embarrassment.

"Also, one of our elders, Pinesap, has gone to Starclan. He had been cramping internally, and Softleaf did all she could. But it wasn't enough." Shadowstar's cheery tone suddenly became full of grief.

The clans held their heads low and called the elders name in sorrow.

"Pinesap, Pinesap!" The called, remebering the elder in their hearts and minds.

"Swifstar? Go ahead." Shadowstar handed over the right to speak to Windclan's young leader.

Thank you, Shadowstar. Now, Windclan has been blessed with great hunting and new warriors! Windrunner and Rabbitchaser!" Swiftstar cheered, so happy se nearly fell out of the Silver Oak.

"Windrunner! Rabbitchaser!" The gathering hollow echoed with cheering.

Rabbitchaser and his peat colored pelt stood out as her stood with a huge sneering grin. His sister, Windrunner, stood but had her tail between her hind legs and head ducked down in embarrasssment.

"But, Twolegs are finally started to get rid of their pelt-dens from our territory. We nearly had to chase a Twoleg kit from our camp, the she-kit went back with quite a few scratches to her hind and forelegs." Swiftstar proudly announced.

"Ripplestar? Would you like to share next?" Swiftstar asked.

"Might as well," Ripplestar replied as she cleared her throat.

"Riverclan has been thriving well, fishing has been very well, with the cold waters fish have come up to the surface for warmth. Easy catches if you ask me, 3 new apprentices and 2 new warriors have been added to Riverclan's swelling ranks. Salmonpaw, Minnowpaw, Marshpaw, and Icebrook and Hailstike." Ripplestar called.

"Salmonpaw! Minnowpaw! Marshpaw! Icebrook! Hailstrike!" The 5 clans chanted as the 5 named Riverclan cats had mixed reactions to the sudden praise.

"_And_, we have an anouncement to make," Ripplestar silenced the clans with a flick of her tail.

"Windclan are pery-stealers!" The sleek she-cat hissed at the pale yellow leader.

"What?!" Outraged cries and protests erupted from the Windclan cats.

"Windclan denies these wild accusations. My cats have done nothing of the sort, why would Windclan, laden with moor prey, need slimy fish? Even in the harshest leaf-bare, we wouldn't dare eat your apalling prey!" Swiftstar denied her clan's prey-stealing involvement.

She may be young, but she could win over any cat with her knowledge of words.

"Silence!" Stormstar yelled over the arguing of Riverclan and Windclan.

The hollow became silent as a stone falling into a snowdrift in leaf-bare.

"Branchstar? I think you should give your report on Thunderclan right about now." Stormstar asked the brown tom.

"Glad to, Thunderclan has been doing well. Our cats are still recovering from the shock of sudden deafeat by Shadowclan. One of our warriors, Rootbark, died of an infected wound. But, one of our apprentices who fought has earned his warrior name; Hollowbark!" Branchstar tried lightening the mood.

"Hollowbark!" Thunderclan, Skyclan, Windclan, and Riverclan joined in the call.

Shadowclan sulked at the warrior. The nearest Shadowclan cat by him, hissed.

"Anything else, Branchstar?" Stormstar asked.

"You can go on with Skyclan's report, Stormstar." Branchstar dipped his head to Skyclan's leader.

"Thank you, Branchstar. Skyclan is doing very well, and tonight we have two new warriors and a medicne cat with us now. Mintfur, Bushbreeze and our new medicine cat, Dovewing!" Stormstar announced to the other four clans.

"Mintfur! Bushbreeze! Dovewing!" They chanted, Skyclan cats standing and yelling the loudest from all over the clearing, in the trees and around the grassy clearing.

Bushbreeze's eyes narrowed as he scanned the clearing, he swelled with pride. Mintfur blinked, surprised at her sudden praise, not just from her own clan, but from all of the clans. Dovewing's ears were flattened and she ducked away in humble embarrasssment.

"Skyclan has a good medicine cat, once again." A Riverclan cat behind Minfur said.

"Now, we have another announcement to make, Soulpelt and Eaglewind, both loyal warriors, have retired to the elders den." Stormstar carried on.

The foggy white she-cat and ginger tom both dipped their heads to the clans.

"May the truce last untill sunrise, may Starclan light your paths back to your own territories." Stormstar yowled and the gathering came to a close.

Skyclan warriors were dropping from the trees and Riverclan's new apprentices found how large Skyclan's patrol was. The ravine-dwelling cats raced back to their home.

_I am free to follow my own paths, maybe my heart lies beyond only here…_ Dovewings thoughts wandered to her Starclan confirmation, intertwined with the other clans' destinies.

_I must find more about Crookedstar, Maplesahde, Tigerstar, and most importantly, Firestar, the savior of Skyclan. _Dovewing silently veered away to the edge of the clans. She found a patch of moonlight that cricled a soft, lush green patch of grass. She settled down and closed her blue eyes.

She drifted away, back into twilight. The path came for her once more, but only 2 cats stood. Blisspaw and Shimmerleaf.

"You may seek 4, but 3 are the one's who'll tell all." A voice whispered.

"Dovewing, there is a cat you should meet, he was a great medicine cat of Thunderclan. He is blind, yet he can see. Jayfeather was his name." Shimmerleaf lead Dovewing and Blisspaw to a silver cat with foggy blue eyes.

"Dovewing, come with me and I'll show you something, in time though." Jayfeather told the new medicine cat of Skyclan.

He walked through Starclan's grounds as though he was not blind, but like everyone else with vision.

The two cats then scrambled under some roots, into a cavern of mist.

"Hurry, she is beginning to stir!" Jayfeather called as he disappeared into the mist.

Dovewing closely followed the Thunderclan cat. She seemed to fly as birds do. Her paws thrummed not against solid ground, but air. Jayfeather slowed his pace as water engulfed him and a pale yellow she-cat.

"Jayfeather! Jayfeather!" Dovewing called as she then recognized the place she was in, the Windclan prairie!

She then knew who the pale yellow cat was, Swiftstar!

Jayfeather's voice rang clearly through the flood;

_Windclan will live seasons on, but roots are needed for storms will come and wash away those with hearts and souls untied. _

"What do you mean?" Swiftstar tried asking the Starclan cat, with no luck.

The dream faded away, and Jayfeather spoke;

"My loyalties are with Thunderclan, no doubt, but I shall teach you; the ways of dreamwalking."

Dovewing's eyes fluttered open as she felt the early dawnlight dew sparkle on her fur. Shaking the droplets off of her dove gray pelt, she padded back inside her own territory.

She spotted the dawn patrol, and came over to her clanmates.

"Dovewing! We wondered all night where you'd gone. Where were you?" It was Dewyfield's worried gesture.

"I was by the Thundercliff." Dovewing replied, "At the peak, not the path below."

Thunderlciff was a sheer cliff, with a high overhang, above a Thunderpath. Skyclan called it the Thundercliff.

"Were you dreaming?" Rippledawn asked the dove gray she-cat.

"Yes, I had some things to ask our ansestors last night," Dovewing replied as the dawn patrol was starting for the ravine.

Closely following, she throught about what Jayfeather had said;

_My loyalties are with Thunderclan, no doubt, but I shall teach you; the ways of dreamwalking._

_What could he mean by that? I know Starclan must've blessed him with tht gift; so how could he pass that on to me? It makes no sense. If his loyalties _are_ with Thunderclan truly, why would he pass his skills onto a Skyclan cat? Why not Mossyoak? He's from Thunderclan, why not him? Maybe he tried, and failed? _Dovewing tried to comphrehend Jayfeather's vague wording.

_In time though._ Jayfeather had said as well.

_It will unfold soon, I hope I will not have to go the Thundercliff everytime though. _Dovewing worried, wrapped in her own thoughts.

"Dovewing? Hello, you there?" Rippledawn asked, annoyed.

"What?" Dovewing was startled by Rippledawn tearing her out of her thoughts.

"Daydreaming, I suppose?" Dewyfield asked flatly.

"Maybe, a little…" Dovewing confessed.

"Hurry up, you three! We don't want to be late for morningtime!" Hawkfall hissed at his comrads.

"Sorry, Hawkfall. I was trying to connect the ends of something from Starclan!" Dovewing murmered annoyed.

"Sorry, Dovewing." Hawkfall flatly apologized.

_What's up with everyone being so flat and cross with me but Rippledawn?_

The small patrol jumped down into the ravine, and morningtime began.


	12. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Spoilers yet still…

"Dovewing, I was very worried about you." Feathersong sighed in relief.

"I was just at the Thundercliff. I had to speak with Starclan." Dovewing replied as she followed her mentor to share a pigeon.

Plucking the feathers, Feathersong asked Dovewing about her dream;

"What happened? Did Shinningleaf taalk to you? Or Blisspaw?" Feathersong inquiried.

"Shinningleaf, now I can't tell you anymore." Dovewing mewed.

"I see why," Feathersong lowered her voice to whisper, "Jayfeather?"

"How'd you know?" Dovewing was taken aback.

"He once spoke to me at Thundercliff. But, when he tried to teach me how to dreamwalk, as he must be doing with you, I failed. He said I wasn't capable to follow him. My first mist test, I couldn't go through." Feathersong told her apprentice.

"Hawkfall, lead a hunting patrol out by the Riverclan border! Take Mintfur, Poppyclaw, Shinningtail and Blazeclaw with you! Shimmerwillow, lead a border patrol by the Shadowclan side. Take Whitestorm, Sharpfang and Nettletail along!" Nightfall yelled over the wind that had just kicked up strong.

Hawkfall bounded out the western side of the canyon-like gorge; Mintfur, Poppyclaw, Shinningtail and Blazeclaw followed close behind him. Shimmerwillow streaked up to the peak of the eastern side. Waiting for the rest of her patrol, she perched on the tips of her paws. Whitestorm, Sharpfang, and Nettletail all scrambled after her. With one bound, she made it up to the grasses above the ravine, her patrol disappearing into the tightly woven trees.

Shimmerwillow padded through the dark, shaded grass under the branches. Feeling a leaf fall onto her back, she new Leaf-fall was approaching.

_And so are eight new apprentices in coming. _

Her thoughts drifted back to Mistkit. The gray kit always hid away, secluded in her own thoughts. Her prophecized burden seemed to weigh upon her heavier than it should have.

She picked up the scent of pinesap and saw a cream colored cat glaring at her.

"Get away from our territory, you Skyclan scum." It was like Creampelt was trying to prevoke her and her clanmates.

"We are clearly on our side of the border, mange-pelt. You're the one trying to provoe an unnessassary fight." Shimmerwillow confronted the senior warrior.

"Hmph, I'll see to you all later." Creampelt stalked off, her patrol following.

"Well, I guess the borders are fine for now, lets head back." Shimmerwillow told her group.

A fishy scent drifted awfully close.

"Riverclan! Attack!" A sleek, mud-furred cat yowed as his battle patrol came slinking out of the stream.

Sharpfang immediately over-threw Shimmerwillow as a battle patrol leader.

"To the trees! Sky formation!" He ordered.

Shimmerwillow and her cats slinked into the trees. Sharpfang and Nettletail pushed the Riverclan cats into a clear, tree ring. They too took place. The Riverclan cats were confused, and one chanted victory and to go on to the camp. A flurry of dirt and grass sprayed the water-dwelling cats.

"Fish-brains!" Nettletail hissed as the debri settled in the air.

Choking, the Riverclan battle patrol tried to wipe the earth out of their eyes. Swinging paws quickly, Mudtail yelled to keep yourself safe. He had survived a Skydrop, and was going to try again.

Then, they attacked. Shimmerwillow went straight down on Mudtail. He felt the blood trickle down his back, coming from his neck. Nettletail hissed as he landed on a silver she-cat. She cried for mercy, but his claws kept digging into her flesh. Blood welled up in her fur, his claws slipped out of her bleeding skin. Slick and wet with blood. Hailstrike fleed from his grasp. Troutpaw came over, trying to catch Nettletail. Jumping into the branches, he then dropped down on the slippery furred apprentice. He shrieked, falling limp beneith his dripping claws.

"Riverclan! Retreat!" Mudtail, whose neck was heavily bleeding, feebly called to his patrol.

Hailstrike and Reedwhisker carried the limp, injured body of a wriggling Troutpaw.

"This is the first time Riverclan has done something roudy. I wonder why now they're being sneaky." Nettletail commented with a proud flick of his spikey tail.

"Maybe something has happened within their territory. A flood?" Whitestorm suggested as she flicked her ear, and added, "It's beginning to drizzle, we better get to camp before it can become a downpour."

"Agreed," Shimmerwillow nodded and signaled for her patrol to follow her as sshe weaved through the tree trunks.

The rain quickly grown harder and stronger, pelting the Skyclan warriors with cold water.

The gravel that surrounded the ravine suddenly was under paw, and before they could blink the rain from their eyes, they plummeted downward.

Shimmerwillow braced herself for the impact, but instead found her claws lodged in a high bundle of moss, that hung from the gorge walls.

"Sharpfang! Whitestorm! Nettletail! Come near me! There's moss here!" Shimmerwillow shouted, hearing thunder rumble in the distance, near Windclan territory.

Shimmerwillow winced as she felt some cat's claws lodging in her tail. She pulled her tail up to the moss, and it was Sharpclaw who found his way into the only safe place in their situation as of now.

Two other figures made their way into the safety net of moss. A white shape, Whitestorm, climbed up, and yelled bacck down;

"Hey! There's a small crevice up here, we could fit in here and shelter 'till we can safely get down!" She shouted.

The other three cats made their way, Nettletail, who looked like he had a smooth pelt for once, due to the storm, nearly lost his paw-holding on the moss,

"Thanks, Sharpfang, that might've ended up…badly for me." Nettletail gratefully yelled over the wind to his clanmate.

The trio climbed into Whitestorm's crevice, it was a tight squeeze, yet it was better than being injured in a fall.

Shimmerwillow snagged some moss into the crevice, leaving it to dry inside.

"I wonder if the clan was able to shelter up the dens with the storm-rocks." Sharpfang pondered.

"Hope so…" Nettletail worried.

It was understandable, he had a mate and four kits down in the potential flood-zone.

"Goldentail and your kit's are fine, don't worry, Nettletail." Whitestorm purred.

"How can we guarantee?" Nettletail fretted.

"I just know…" Whitestorm breathed.


	13. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Spoilers yet still…

"How can one just know things they can't possibly know?" Nettletail panicked.

"Just…calm down, Nettletail." Whitestorm dismissed the conversation.

Thunder still rumbled, and Shimmerwillow stood, which was more like crouching, and she told her patrol;

"I'll head down, make sure we could get down in the morning, we might be up here for quite a while."

"You are not going down there. This storm seems as though it could become so bad that it might flood the camp, like when Stormstar and Pearlpaw were born." Whitestorm placed her tail on Shimmerwillow's hunched shoulders.

Shimmerwillow broke free from Whitestorm's tail-grasp, and jumped down into the pounding rain.

Nettletail, Sharpfang, and Whitestorm could no longer see their clanmate, and worry spread between them.

Shimmerwillow's claws snagged the moss she'd found earlier. Practically blind from the rain, she literally took a leap of faith, jumping down. She braced herself to fall to her demise, but found she had landed on a steady surface. It was Skyrock. She knew there must be cats sheltered in Stormstar's den, she climbed down, rain slamming onto her pelt. Squinting, she could just make out the ledge that hung off the leaders' den. Hunching down, she made a break for it. Her paws slammed into the rock, just as the rain had on her fur.

"Shimmerwillow?! Where were you?" It was Shinningtail, her sister's relieved tone came from the cavern.

"Where's the rest of your patrol?" Nightfall's figure came near her, asking her about her clanmates' well-being.

"Fine, but we're all wet, we found a small crevice and sheltered for the moment there." Shimmerwillow responded.

"Well, lead them down here, this is gonna be a rough storm, the others are in my den, right below, with Stormstar." Nightfall explained.

Shimmerwillow scrambled up to the wet Skyrock, and dug her claws into every little gap in the rock face. She reached up to the moss, and climbed her way up, nearly getting blown over by the wind, to the crevice.

"Thank Starclan you're alright." Whitestorm breathed.

"Follow me, all of you. You're gonna cling to the moss, and then, jump straight down, you'll land on Skyrock. Head down off the right, and if you squint, you'll see the ledge off the leaders' den. Then, just go in." Shimmerwillow instructed as she jumped out into the storm.

The group of four dropped from the moss, landing on Skyrock, clambering into the crowded den.

"Oh, Nettletail! You're alright!" Goldentail sighed as she curled up to her soaked mate.

"Of course I'm fine, I'm a Skyclan warrior. The best clan be in." Nettletail purred.

Night began to creep up on Skyclan, the sun drowning in the water. The storm rocks holed up the dens. Everyone was sent to their own dens during a short break in the storm. Rocks and sticks covered the entrances to the dens, so that rain wouldn't flood the dens, similar to Riverclan's floating dens. The tunnels that were hollowed out between dens were the only way cats could move.

Hunting and patrolling happen less frequently than normal. The gorge was half-filled with storm water. Nightfall would climb up on Skyrock, to organize patrols once a day. No threats. Little prey. That was all that was reported. One squirrel or maybe a mouse was found each day.

Herbs were drowned and swept away. Hard to find. It wasn't easy.

"Bushbreeze! Lead a patrol with Shinningtail, Whitestorm, and take Mintfur with you aswell!" Nightfall yowled.

It echoed across the murky water, and she disappeared into Stormstar's den. It was nearly submerged.

Bushbreeze and the rest of his group scrambled through the tunnels, up to the surface.

_Fresh air…finally. _Bushbreeze sighed.

Waiting, Bushbreeze scanned the woods. Mud. No dirt. Grass was torn up, and plants swimming in deep puddles.

_Starclan? Why did you cause this flood to effect all 5 clans? _Bushbreeze questioned his ancestors.

Finally, his clanmates emerged from the ground, popping up like moles.

"Phew, that took a while." Whitestorm shook her snowy pelt.

"Quit complaining! It's nice to stretch our legs and get some fresh air!" Mintfur teased.

"Hey, I'm not super young like you. I'm almost a senior warrior." Whitestorm huffed.

"I'm not saying that you're old!" Minfur recoiled.

"Stop fighting!" Bushbreeze silenced the two she-cats.

"Where is Shinningtail?" Bushbreeze asked, only seeing two of three she-cats in his patrol.

"She's in the medicine den, got a mile cough, we're hoping it won't get bad enough to be greencough." Mintfur glumly replied.

"Shouldn't we be off?" Whitestorm murmered, and added; "Not chatting here next to camp like a pair of starlings?"

The damage was astoundingly bad. We saw pine trees on Shadowclan's border completely blown over, and the marshes spilling over. Windclan's moor looked more like a marsh. Water coursed through the rolling hills, heather was swept away by winds, and swam in the waters. On Thunderclan's side, it was the same. Trees uprooted, and plants drowning.

"Ow…" Mintfur was smacked in the face by a Thunderclan plant drifting in the wind.

Riverclan was hit the hardest. The water levels were about 6 feet too high. The raft-like dens floated, and waves from the river, every so-often, crashed down, washing into its neighboring clans' territories. Bushbreeze heard the crying of a kit, scared it would be washed away.

_The water levels are dropping…this is good. Skyclan may survive yet another flood. They are a strong clan, and Stormstar is a strong leader. I wish I could talk to them again, to Leafstar, to Firestar, and to someone besides myself. But if the clans live on, it was worth it…my greatest sacrifice. _Spottedleaf thought in her loneliness, after giving up her life in Starclan to defend Thunderclan from the Dark Forest.

"I told you it would happen. They would vanish again! Why did you never listen to me you kittypet! Your efforts are wasted!" Sasha hissed at Firestar.

"They will make it! And so will Thunderclan! My efforts were never wasted on anything!" Firestar yelled at Tigerstar's mate.

_Skyclan is strong_, Firestar was content with his efforts when he was still living with Thunderclan.

_**I am so sorry that I haven't updated in about three months! **_

_**School has kept me very busy, and now I have my YouTube channel to keep up with.**_

_**I have too much stuff going on to regularly update, so I'm planning on every Monday to update!**_

_**That okay with you guys?**_

_**Once a week?**_

_**I also am working on 9 stories now.**_

_**3 are already available to you guys, 6 are still in development.**_

_**So, if you enjoy my writing, go check out;**_

**In My Dream of an Absolution**

_**And**_

**From Her Shadow, Into the Light**

_**See ya soon! PLEASE! Review and follow!**_


	14. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

**Author's Note; this is right after the floodwaters disappear.**

"I'm so glad we can finally restore our camp." Feathersong sighed.

The camp was in a bad state, gravel scattered all around. Twigs, and leaves everywhere. Puddles still remained and dripped from crevices.

"And we can restock our herbs." Dovewing thought, thinking of Shinningtail, coughing in the medicine den.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey please gather here in Skyshadow beneath Skyrock for a clan meeting!" Stormstar called his mighty clan.

They assembled beneath him, wondering why he called them here.

"No clan can survive without warriors, but, to have those warriors we must train them as apprentices. In turn, Skyclan now has eight kits to learn the ways of Starclan's noble code. Mistkit, Sugarkit, Thornkit, Firekit, Thunderkit, Snowkit, Lightningkit, and Rainkit, please step forth." Stormstar explained.

"Shimmerwillow, you have been a great and loyal warrior, and I hope you will pass those skills down to Mistpaw." Shimmerwillow walked over to touch noses with the gray newly-made apprentice.

"Whitestorm, you have served Skyclan well and have shown great compassion, I hope you will pass down this quality to Sugarpaw." Whitestorm touched noses with the white apprentice.

"Sharpfang, you have great fighting instinct and hunting skill, and I hope you can pass those on to Thornpaw." The thorn patterned tom touched noses with the scarred warrior.

"Blazeclaw, you have shown undoubtable bravery, and I wish you will pass that on to Firepaw." The fiery apprentice touched noses with the bigger crimson tom.

"Hawkfall, you have shown courage, and that I hope for you to pass on to Thunderpaw."

"Cloudfall, you have shown great patience, and I wish for you to teach that to Lightningpaw."

"Rippledawn, you have shown amazing kindness, and I hope for that to be shown to Snowpaw."

"Skyfall, you have proven yourself to be strong, and I wish for that to be taught to Rainpaw."

"Mistpaw! Sugarpaw! Thornpaw! Firepaw! Thunderpaw! Snowpaw! Lightningpaw! Rainpaw! Mistpaw! Sugarpaw! Thornpaw! Firepaw! Thunderpaw! Snowpaw! Lightningpaw! Rainpaw!" Skyclan cheered.

"Mistpaw, come on, it's time for you to see Skyclan's vast territory!" Shimmerwillow shouted to her new apprentice.

Jittering with excitement, Mistpaw ran over to the respected warrior.

"What's it like?" Mistpaw bounced up and down.

"You're about to see it for yourself, why ask?" Shimmerwillow asked. "Come on, I'll show you the easiest way to get up." She added, seeing Mistpaw look at the sheer rock face, wondering how she'd get up it.

Jumping to a ledge, Shimmerwillow beckoned her apprentice.

_This might be too easy…_ Mistpaw thought.

Up to another hold in the rock, another ledge, and a few long jumps got the pair to the top.

"Trust me, it gets easier the more you do it." Shimmerwillow grinned.

"Whoa, it's huge!" Mistpaw reveled.

"I'll show you the Shadowclan border, don't get to close, or they'll give us a fight." Shimmerwillow saw her apprentice bare her teeth. "You don't know any fighting moves yet, remember?"

Mistpaw opened her jaws to protest, but thought better of it.

_Lilacpetal taught her well._ Shimmerwillow thought.

Pine trees scattered the horizon on Shadowclan's side. Marshes littered the ground with mud, and frogs jumped around.

"While we're here, I might as well start your history lessons." Shimmerwillow mentioned.

"History…lessons?" Mistpaw was dumbfounded.

"In Skyclan, we keep history flowing by teaching it to our apprentices, and they teach their apprentices, and so forth. Might as well begin with Shadowclan." Shimmerwillow said.

**Authors Note; this does involve some OC spoilers and canon spoilers. Yes, I came up with Skyclan keeping history flowing by teaching it to their apprentices, because, what better way to teach "my apprentices" (you readers) the backstory besides the main characters training? See ya!**

"Shadowclan has always been associated with evilness and darkness. They are the main rivals of Thunderclan and Skyclan. Back when the clans lived in The Great Rock Place, Shadowclan was the clan to finally drive out Skyclan. Known also as the clan home to Tigerstar's evil reign of terror against Thunderclan, and Brokenstar's terrible reign of bloodshed, sending kits only two moons old into battle with 'enemies' Brokenstar claims they already had, but really, ones he made them have. Nightfall and Shadowstar's real father, Hazeclaws, was a Skyclan cat, but he fell in love with a Shadowclan she-cat named Pinesparkle. There is a birch tree, the Tunnel Birch, where beneath it, lay many tunnels to every territory, and everywhere important, like hunting grounds. Hazeclaws dug a tunnel to the heart of Shadowclan's territory. Each night he'd slip out and dig away dirt, as the moon began to lower, Hazeclaws would clean the dirt from his fur, and head back in to the camp. Once he finished the tunnel, he met Pinesparkle every night, and when she became expectant with his kits, he transferred clans. There was a cat named Swiftstream, who was from Riverclan, who hated Hazeclaws, Pinesparkle, and would come to hate the kits she bore. But, Swiftstream died before Shadowstar was born. You see, before he left, Hazeclaws also had been the father of Nightfall, Cloudfall, Skyfall, and Hawkfall. Their mother was unknown." Shimmerwillow told her apprentice.

**Authors Note; The Great Rock Place is the forest where the original Warriors took place. Where Bluestar led her clan. Where at Gatherings the leaders stood on the Great Rock.**

"Is that why Nightfall doesn't really trust any cat completely?" Mistpaw questioned.

"Probably." Shimmerwillow commented.

"Let's go, you wanna see more of the territory right?" Shimmerwillow grinned.

"Yeah!" Mistpaw popped up.

Rushing off, the faint smell of heather overcame the pair of cats.

"Windclan?" Mistpaw asked.

"You guessed it, let's see…Do you know what Windclan's routine tasks are?" Shimmerwillow quizzed.

"Um…tunneling underground, hunting rabbits, and, uh, patrolling the borders?" Mistpaw was very unsure about her answer.

"Right, now, we'd better hurry. Follow me." Shimmerwillow padded off.

Scurrying behind, Mistpaw scented the disgusting fishy reek of Riverclan. Water rushed along the riverbank, and marshland stretched far.

"Yuck! Fish!" Mistpaw covered her nose.

"You guessed it, that's Riverclan." Shimmerwillow eyed the patrol walking by and added, "That cat in the front, which is Brookstream, the deputy. Behind her, that tom is Pebbleclaw. And that tan cat, her name is Sandshell, and her apprentice is Sludgepaw."

**Author's Note; now I think that because this is going to get intricate now, I'm gonna include POV's, now the POV is Mistpaw**

We'd gotten back a while ago, and it was suntouch. I instinctively went over to the nursery, halting myself halfway there.

_I'm Mistpaw now, I'm Shimmerwillow's apprentice. I now sleep in the apprentice den. _

Walking over to the empty den, I swept away some dust, and gathered moss. Sugarpaw leaped down with Whitestorm, grinning, as her white pelt was dirty for once, covered in brown mud. I realized I looked the same way, mud from tail-tip to chest.

"Mistki-Mistpaw! How was your territory trip? Mine was awesome! I got a brief lesson on Riverclan history!" Sugarpaw grinned.

"Mine was real fun. Shimmerwillow is an awesome mentor. I got a lesson on Shadowclan history. I even saw Brookstream, Riverclan's deputy!" I grinned.

"Wow! What was she like?" Sugarpaw questioned.

"I didn't actually talk to her. She was leading a patrol with Pebbleclaw, Sandshell, and her apprentice, Sludgepaw." I answered.

"Lucky! We didn't see any other cats!" Sugarpaw huffed.

"Look who's worked up!" I giggled.

"I think we should wash up. Just look at you! Mud from your tail to your head!" Sugarpaw blustered.

Dripping wet, my sister and I hopped out of the river, mud cleaned from our pelts.

"Can you help me make up the nests?" I asked my snowy white sister.

"M'Kay." Sugarpaw mumbled around some moss.

Clawing it off the walls of the water cave, I rolled the moss into little bundles, and tucked them to my chest. Sugarpaw and I smoothed out the moss, and with what we had, made three nests. As Sugarpaw gathered some bracken for the liner, I collected more moss for the den. Six nests, four lined. Thunderpaw bounded in the camp with his mentor, Hawkfall.

"That was so cool! Can we do some battle training tomorrow, Hawkfall?" Thunderpaw eagerly asked.

"Maybe, it depends on how tired you are. You are still just out of kithood, you'll need to get used to apprentice tasks and build up stamina." Hawkfall calmly commented.

"Thunderpaw! Can you come here and help us?" I called over.

He padded over grabbing the bundles of moss I'd made and left. Bringing them up, he dropped them for some bracken, lining the rest of the nests. Eight un-touched nests lay for us to claim.

I curled up in one, the closest to the entrance of the den. Sugarpaw was in the nest next to me, and Thunderpaw right behind me

It was the break of dawn, and I pelt a paw prod me awake. I jolted up, blinking, wondering where I was.

_Where am I? Oh yeah! The apprentice den, I'm so used to waking up next to Lilacpetal, I was terrified of where she was._ I thought, feeling stupid.

"Mistpaw, come on. We're going to do some training." It was Shimmerwillow, softly whispering.

I staggered out of the den, stretching my stiff legs.

Following my mentor, I climbed up the path that she'd shown me the prior day. Into the forest, we headed to a tall oak. It looked like the tallest oak in the forest.

"Why are we here?" I questioned.

"To train, this is the Training Oak Hollow. Follow me, let's go in." Shimmerwillow answered as she disappeared into the tree.

_In?_ I followed with a sliver of doubt.

Falling into a tunnel, I tumbled down the whole way into a big, hollow, underground cavern.

"This is the training hollow? Don't the other clans train in the open?" I asked.

"They do, but we don't. It's so our training can be secret, and our special tricks unknown. Like Skydrop, we practice that here, we use the ledges as fake trees." Shimmerwillow explained.

"Are we going to learn Skydrop today?" I eagerly asked.

"No, that's a very advanced move, probably one of the last things you'll learn before your final assessment." Shimmerwillow told her apprentice.

"Today we are going to learn a claw-pounce. This is also used when hunting large prey, like pheasants or turkey. I'll show you, and then you copy. Make sure to sheathe your claws in training, always." Shimmerwillow crouched, sprang up, and tucked herself around an invisible creature, wrestling it to the ground.

I crouched, and was about to spring up like Shimmerwillow had, when she stopped me.

"You have to have your hind legs out a bit more than that, or else, another cat could come up behind you, and you couldn't move. And with your hind legs tucked in like that, you can't get a good leap, even so. Your forelegs need to be bent a pinch more than they are."

_This is much harder than it seemed._

I tried again, hind legs out more, and forelegs bent. I sprang up, higher than I thought I would, and tucked my hindlegs together, my forelegs curved as well.

"That was much better, now let's try that one more time." Shimmerwillow told me.

Panting, I crouched, hindlegs out behind me. Forelegs bent as Shimmerwillow told me to. I set my eyes on my mentor, not the air. I sprang out at my mentor, and she had no time to react to my sudden jump. Curving my legs around her, I tackled her to the ground.

"Well done, Mistpaw. You got me there." Shimmerwillow laughed as I got off of my mentor.

Heading back to camp, Shimmerwillow told me to go get some prey for myself as for I deserved it for my hard work. Grabbing a small bird, I settled down. Plucking off the feathers, I dug into the flesh with my claws.

_I can finally eat something without my mother making me share with my littermates. _

Thunderpaw and Lightningpaw came running in. Screaming their pelts off.

"Fox! Fox! There's a fox coming!" Lightningpaw sounded like a little kit.

Snarling could be heard from the distance.

_There is a fox,…_

"Warriors! Get to the entrances and secure them!" Nightfall yelled, her voice booming like thunder.

Shimmerwillow hopped up to Nightfall's call.

"Mistpaw! Come on! Time to use what I showed you!" She called over her shoulder.

Paws strummed the ground like thunder. There were five russet creatures at the top of the gorge.

"Claws out Mistpaw." Shimmerwillow stated.

Whitestorm and Sugarpaw stood nearby, as well as Rainpaw with Skyfall.

One russet fox snapped its jaws and jumped down. Once it landed safely, its pals came down with it. Hisses and snarling. Snapping and thumping.

"Wait for it…" Shimmerwillow muttered to me.

"Now!" She shouted as one fox lashed out at the closest cat it could come in contact with, which happened to be Nettletail.

It stung him as he staggered back. I saw Thunderpaw reach for the crimson critter. Blazeclaw came from what seemed like thin air. Landing down on the fox, he used his pure strength to pin it down. Thunderpaw swiped his paw out at the fox, nearly getting his paw bitten. I saw the other fox jump for my sister.

"Nothing is going to hurt my sister!" I jumped for the fox, wrapping around it with my legs as I had during training. I clamped my jaw around its neck. Blood welled beneath my teeth. I let go, and blood poured from its wound. I jumped off as it slumped down.

"Thank you." Sugarpaw scattered away.

"Fox dung!" I heard Rainpaw cuss as she missed her crimson target.

I was running after my mentor, unsure of what to do with my kill.

"Shinningtail!" I heard Shimmerwillow cry out.

Looking over, I saw Shinningtail lay motionless on the ground, blood pouring from her neck.

"No! Shinningtail!" Shimmerwillow cried over her sister.

"I'm still…able to…fight…" Shinningtail coughed up blood.

"Dovewing! Cobwebs, now!" Feathersong yelled over the screeches of the fight.

"Mistpaw! Look out!" I dove out of the way of a fox jumping for me. It slammed into the hard stone.

I shredded its fur, avoiding its snapping teeth. Thornpaw came over to help. Sharpfang flew over us, landing on another fox. Ripping out its throat, it lay dead.

Cobwebs were plastered onto Shinningtail's wound. Carried to the medicine den, only Starclan would be able to decide her fate.

"Dovewing! Get some goldenrod, horsetail, and some thyme leaves, hurry!" Feathersong got serious when she was dealing with a dangerous wound.

Blood from cats and foxes covered the ground, rolling on the stones. Fur scattered all around. One fox left, many cats injured.

Shimmerwillow ran, her paws thrumming the ground, claws un-sheathed, she pounced on the fox. It snapped at the expert warrior, and she back flipped to avoid it, landing below it, she circled, pinning it down. Its blood flowed down, staining the ground red.

"It's over." Shimmerwillow stated.

The fox lay limp, along with four others. Shinningtail lay on the brink of life or death. Shimmerwillow vengeful. Stormstar proud. I was in the middle of it all.

_Mist always falls, but a misted star will reign above all, her life will bring hope, and she will save them with the four. _Pearlpaw spoke from Starclan,_ I am proud of you my brother, but you have much to learn from them before you join us…_


	15. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 – POV Mistpaw

Blood stained the camp, tears were shed my mentor. Shinningtail lay nearly dead in the medicine den.

"Will she make it?" Shimmerwillow asked Dovewing.

"We think so, there is never a guarantee, sadly." The dove-gray she-cat sighed.

Shinningtail was moved to the next den, where most injured or sick cats stay.

"Mistpaw, go help clean up the camp. I'll be there soon." Shimmerwillow ordered.

I padded off, exhausted from fighting. Grabbing wet moss, I helped clean the blood from the rocks.

"Mistpaw! Can you help Snowpaw, Rippledawn, and I carry the foxes away?" Bushbreeze asked.

"Are we unable to eat fox meat?" I asked.

"I guess we could clean up the foxes and eat them, in a victory feast!" Rippledawn grinned.

I helped my clanmates rip off the bloody fur and preserve the meat.

"Let's get this bloody fur out of the camp." Snowpaw proposed.

Snowpaw and I carried one pelt, while Rippledawn and Bushbreeze carried four. We buried them into the ground by a tree. Rippledawn clawed a '/ 'onto the tree, marking one cat was injured. An 'X' would symbolize a death in the battle.

"May we now feast in light of our most recent victory against the pack of foxes!" Stormstar yowled to Skyclan.

I settled down by Shimmerwillow, sharing part of the fox meat that Rippledawn, Snowpaw, Bushbreeze and I recovered.

"Mm…that's actually quite nice. Never had fox meat eaten here in Skyclan." Shimmerwillow commented.

"That was my idea…" Mistpaw murmured.

"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here in Skyshadow at Skyrock for a clan meeting!" Stormstar announced.

"Wonderwhathis'llbebout." Thornpaw mumbled around fox meat.

"We are gathered here to honor our brave warriors and apprentices who fought fearlessly to secure the safety of our camp. I would like to recognize Shinningtail, Shimmerwillow, Sharpfang, Thornpaw, and Mistpaw. They may be excused from patrols for tomorrow." Stormstar dismissed the meeting after that message.

"Lucky! It's just 'cause you two are his kits you get to be excused from patrols!" Rainpaw hissed.

At the break of dawn, Shimmerwillow came down to wake me. She tapped my shoulder with her tail. I jumped from my nest, startled.

She signaled for me to follow, and whispered; "Come on, just because you're not going on a patrol doesn't mean you're not going to be training."

In the hollow, I waited for what I was going to be learning.

"Today, we are going to learn some strong offensive moves, these are simple, but very effective." Shimmerwillow explained.

Crouching, Shimmerwillow pounced up, landing roughly on an invisible opponent, nipping at them and using her hind legs to claw their back.

"Now, you try." Shimmerwillow sat back.

I bunched my muscled haunches, pushing my legs out a small fraction, my forelegs extended slightly. I imagined I was in the heat of battle, and saw a cat in front of me, leaping, I pounded onto them, clawing their backside with my hind legs, nipping at their ears.

**Authors Note; This move is the base for Mistpaw's signature battle moves.**

"Good, now for some stretches Shinningtail and I came up with as apprentices. Come on, we don't wanna tear up the training hollow, do we?" Shimmerwillow squeezed in the narrow tunnel to aboveground.

I followed closely, my breath on Shimmerwillow's tail. Popping out into the open, I breathed in the sweet scent of the forest. I was led to a small rocky clearing, heavily surrounded by thick trees.

"You see, if we can't use the hollow, or it's too crowded, we come here for training. It's nice and secure." Shimmerwillow's ears twitched, and a twig snapped.

Parting her jaws, my mentor bounced up to the tree limb, muttering something inaudible.

I peeked through the crack in the branches, trying to see what Shimmerwillow was murmuring about. A fishy scent drifted our way. Too close for comfort.

"Riverclan, I found a trail of them. Come on." I heard a hushed whisper.

"I see someone. Is it her?" That voice I knew, from the patrol I saw a couple days ago.

"Who are you? Show yourselves!" Shimmerwillow yelled at the unwelcome visitors.

"Ha, who do you think you are? We can do whatever we want! Riverclan, Attack!" Mistyfog yelled the battle cry as sleek, fishy smelling cats, advanced on the two cats.

"Mistpaw! Go get Stormstar! Hurry! Don't show them the way to the camp!" Shimmerwillow tackled Mistyfog to the ground.

_How am I supposed to show them the camp if…I can't find my way back from here! _

Hearing a pair of the trespassers behind me, I swerved between the trees, feeling a satisfactory wham shake the ground. Taking the risk, I looked behind me, seeing one of the cats had thumped into a thick tree trunk.

_Why are they here? Did we do something wrong? And right after the fox attack as well…_

Tears welling up in my eyes, I ran veering around the trees.

_Wait, I'm a Skyclan cat, I'm known for jumping. I guess I'll try…_

Leaping into the trees, I followed the now lost Riverclan tom. Bunching up my muscles as he stood still, I sprang down on him. His eyes widened with shock. Sinking my teeth into his fur, he scratched at the ground.

"You're no more than a kit! How could Skyclan train a cat under six moons? Are they that desperate?" He hissed, then mumbled; "If you're just a kit, how come I can't escape your grasp?"

"Here in Skyclan, we're born strong. Ever seen the gorge? We learn to leap it as soon as we can walk." I smugly replied.

He forced all of his weight upwards, and it was too much for me. I was just a new apprentice after all. I flew through the air like a bird, coming to rest on the ground, painfully. Slamming down onto some roots, I examined my enemy.

_He looks very uncomfortable here in the forest…I could use that._

Scrambling into the tree roots even further, I snagged some loose bark on my claws. Silently climbing up the trunk, I tip-toed onto the branches, rustling the leaves ever so slightly. Throwing the bark at a tree behind him, it ruffled the tree leaves. He whipped around, terrified that I was behind him, about to pounce. Knocking him over on his side, pushing him to a tree. His soft belly was exposed to my furious claws. Blood began to spread on his fur, wails emerging from the squirming warrior.

"Please! Don't hurt me anymore! I'll go back to Riverclan!" He pleaded.

"How can I trust you?" I retorted. "But, tell me, who are you?"

"I'm Icebrook." He wailed.

I lifted my paw, releasing Icebrook from my grasp. He turned tail and fled as fast as he could. Remembering what Shimmerwillow instructed me to do, I raced for the camp, now recognizing the gravel path.

"_Mistpaw! Go get Stormstar! Hurry! Don't show them the way to the camp!"_

"Nightfall!" I hurriedly yelled, seeing the jet black she-cat in camp, "Riverclan is invading! Shimmerwillow's trying to hold them off alone!"

I was terrified, Shimmerwillow could be…dead by now!

"Sharpfang! Thornpaw! Blazeclaw! Firepaw! Whitestorm! Sugarpaw! Robinfeather! Mintfur! Hurry up! We're going to defend our clan!" Nightfall sprang up with her patrol.

_I couldn't be happier in any other clan. I'm so proud to be a Skyclan cat. _

"This was an easy victory." Mistyfog flicked her tail, "Come on. We have to take over Skyclan's camp."

Shimmerwillow was outnumbered, though a fighter, she knew what was wise. A real warrior knows when to give up.

"Not so fast, Mistyfog." Nightfall rose up, looking alone.

"Ha! Oh, Nightfall. You think you're so noble, taking on Riverclan alone. You're a joke." Mistyfog laughed.

"You really think so? Wanna test me?" Nightfall crouched. "Skyclan, attack!"

Mistyfog was immediately taken down by Robinfeather and Mintfur. Icebrook, who was still fleeing, was pummeled by Blazeclaw. Screeches were heard, blood staining the grass. Two white blurs darted across the battle in perfect unison. In sync they knocked a dazed warrior named Hailstrike into a tree.

"Hey! Don't you dare hurt my brother!" Icebrook had escaped Blazeclaw.

Sugarpaw slipped underneath his belly, flipping him over. Thornpaw hit Icebrook's stomach.

"No! Mistyfog!" Blood seeped from the arrogant, young she-cat's neck.

Hailstrike wept over his mate's bleeding body.

"I still have some fight….in me…"Her eyes began to glaze over.

In his moment of weakness, Hailstrike was shoved into a ditch.

"Retreat!" Nightfall announced with an odd flick of her tail.

"But, they were winning!" Icebrook was puzzled.

Sand from the hollow was kicked up into a sand-storm. Riverclan was blinded by the flurrying bits of sand.

**Author's Note; if anyone got why I hyphenated sand-storm wins an imaginary cookie, please pm me, and don't yell it out in the comments/reviews! Hint – A Thunderclan cat (from the main series.)**

Six of Nightfall's cats pounced from the trees, with an extreme amount of force. Hailstrike was pummeled by Robinfeather as she flew like the bird of her name from the trees.

"Trickery!" Some cat yowled before they got a mouthful of Whitestorm's fur.

Sharpfang bit some cat's neck, and they screamed, blood pouring from their wound. Mintfur, who was kicking up sand, was tackled down roughly.

"Hey! Let go of her!" Blazeclaw hissed, pushing Tinyriver off his clanmate.

"More dust!" The wall of dust became dirt as Skyclan's kickers moved to the more dirt-covered area of the area.

"Riverclan…We've lost this battle! But…we'll be…back…" Blood streamed from the corner of Mistyfog's muzzle, she weakly called out the retreat.

"Let them now mourn their dead, and treat to their injured. We shall claim victory for our clan!" Nightfall yowled as she saw their invaders limp away.

Mistyfog had now been claimed by Starclan, and would be cared for by our ancestors. Hailstrike and his brother, Icebrook were in the worst shape. Tinyriver and a she-cat named Sandshell carried their dead clanmate and supported their wounded across the river.

"Skyclan is once more victorious over an unprovoked battle with Riverclan!" Stormstar told his clan.

"For Skyclan!" They cheered.

"Mistpaw is learning fast, she'll be a warrior so soon, and she's been Shimmerwillow's apprentice for less than one moon!" Soulpelt prided in her granddaughter.

"She has much to learn, she's never hunted or gone to Gathering yet!" Shimmerwillow purred. "Goldentail learned fast, but Mistpaw is learning even faster!"

"Go get some rest, you've all had a busy apprenticeship already. But first, eat something." Lilacpetal fussed over her kits.

"Mom, we don't need you to fuss over us!" Thornpaw indignantly retorted.

I eyed a juicy squirrel, and quickly leapt up to the fresh-kill pile, sinking my teeth into its scruff. It made my muzzle drip with fat, of which I dripped into a leaf, and gave to Dovewing.

"Thank you, it'll be useful because when Dewyfield's kits come, she might not have enough milk." Dovewing licked the top of my head in appreciation.

**Author's Note; the fat from prey is used for three reasons in Skyclan; 1) For a kit who is malnourished because their mother is lacking milk, 2) An elder is malnourished, or 3) A sick cat hasn't been eating right and is malnourished. That's why Dovewing mentioned how "it'll be useful because when Dewyfield's kits come, she might not have enough milk." It's so the kits have nourishment.**

Finally settling down to eat my squirrel, I licked my lips, and ravenously tore into it.

_This is how clan life is supposed to be. Peace must come from war. And I'll be Skyclan's very best warrior! They'll never forget me. I remember the prophecy Dovewing had received. I am one born of Storm, and I will save the clans from utter destruction. No cat, even Starclan, could change that!_

**Guys, thank you so much for the support! I really am so glad you guys love this so much!**

**I've gotten nothing but great reviews, and I love you so much for it!**

**I will keep updating, and go check out my in-progress;**

**Welcome to Skyclan! – A Guide to Eeveelutionsgirl's Skyclan**

**As well as;**

**From Her Shadow, Into the Light**

**In My Dream of an Absolution**

**and the upcoming titles,**

**Sailor Moon – Crystals of Legend**

**Wish of a Lucky Star**

**Every Rose HAD Its Thorn**


	16. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 – POV Sugarpaw (1,898)

"Sugarpaw, I heard you were awesome fighting side-by-side with Whitestorm!" Lightningpaw grinned at his love interest.

"I didn't do anything special." I told my eager friend, "I just did what a warrior would do, fight to save their clan. You would do the exact same!"

"But not as good as you!" He countered, his face blushing the color of a raspberry.

"Stop you're mooning, Lightningpaw! Come on, we've got hunting practice with Whitestorm and Shimmerwillow!" His mentor, Cloudfall, snapped at the young tom.

"Coming, Cloudfall!" Lightningpaw scrambled off with an apologetic glance at me.

I watched my clanmate run off, and I was dazed. Snapping out of it when Whitestorm waved her tail in my face.

"Hello? Any cat in there? You're a bit young to be thinking about taking Lightningpaw as a mate. Don't think Lilacpetal would be very happy." Whitestorm teased.

"Hey! I'm not daydreaming about Lightningpaw!" I defended myself, my pelt getting hotter every moment.

"Come on, we're going hunting with Shimmerwillow and Cloudfall." Whitestorm leapt away, up the cliff-face.

I followed, my white pelt fluffed out. I licked it to lay flat, Whitestorm had taught me to keep my fur as flat and smooth as I could, so prey wouldn't see me as easily. My white pelt stood out like a cloud in the trees. Taking the route Whitestorm used, I head up to the top. I saw Mistpaw licking her paw.

"'Bout time you showed up!" Cloudfall laughed.

"We have no time to spare, it's becoming leaf-fall, and we can't waste prey. They're already starting to burrow and getting ready for hibernation." Shimmerwillow indicated.

Following the inseparable mentor-and-apprentice pair of Mistpaw and Shimmerwillow. Leaves stayed silent under the feet of the Skyclan nimble Skyclan cats.

_I smell mouse!_ My whiskers twitched and my jaws parted to get an idea of the direction the smell was coming from. Crouching low to the ground, I spotted the little gray figure, nibbling at a blade of grass. Stalking it, I inched closer, taking the smallest paw steps I could.

_Dang my white pelt! _I was frustrated at how my pelt was, as I saw the mouse scurry away after it saw my bright pelt.

"You looked like a cloud!" Lightningpaw laughed as the mouse I'd been pursuing lay limp in his jaws.

"Hey! It's not my fault you blend in more than I do! You have a bright jagged stripe on your back!" I hissed, my fur fluffing up.

"Stop bickering, it's not what clanmates do!" Whitestorm corrected her apprentice.

"Sorry…" I murmured.

Mistpaw came with her mentor, Shimmerwillow carrying a robin in her jaws.

"Back to camp?" Cloudfall wondered.

"Off we go!" Lightningpaw answered his mentor, his paws thudding the ground in the direction back to camp.

"Oh no, you don't!" Shimmerwillow grabbed his scruff.

"You'll be doing the elder's bedding for that!" Cloudfall punished his apprentice.

"But, Cloudfall!" He protested.

"Don't argue with your mentor, if you ever want to be a warrior, you better listen to every word he says!" I hissed.

"You're not my mentor, nor my mom!" His pelt fluffed up, and his jagged yellow stripe stood out more than ever.

He dove at me, and I swiftly dodged my denmate. Shimmerwillow and Mistpaw had disappeared into the forest.

_Looking for more prey, I'm guessing. _

I dashed at Lightningpaw, and he fell off his paws. I was sharply tugged back by some cat.

"Lemme go!" I struggled.

"This isn't like you. What happened? You're normally hard to provoke, and you're normally pretty calm. Somethin' up?" Whitestorm asked back at the camp.

"Nothing, he just angered me." I brushed the topic off.

"Sugarpaw, wanna share some prey?" I heard Snowpaw call.

_Snowpaw is my best friend. As soon as we were apprentices, we became really close, seeing as our mentors are mates. When we were kits, we always played together. In battle, we're never apart. She's like a second sister! But I'd never give up Mistpaw, my real sister. She's awesome._

"Sure!" I swished my tail and went up to my friend.

Taking a bite out of the robin that Shimmerwillow'd caught earlier, and juicy flavor flooded my mouth. Pushing it away so Snowpaw could take a bite, I swallowed the tender morsel. We passed the robin back and forth until it was nothing but feather, skin, and bones when we'd finished.

Yawning, I padded off to the apprentices den.

"Tired?" Rippledawn asked, tipping her head as I passed.

"Quite." I yawned in the middle of my word.

"Been hunting?" Rippledawn prodded.

_Why are you asking so much? Just because you're a warrior and I'm not doesn't mean anything._

I nearly snapped at the young she-cat, until Dovewing sniffed at my shoulder.

"Has this been bothering you? You've been awkwardly limping on it since you got back from hunting. Were you jumping from the trees? Or get in a fight?" Dovewing quizzically asked me.

"I, uh," I had just realized the jolt of pain shooting through my shoulder. "Yeah, it hurts. I got in a fight with Lightningpaw, he should be called Hotheadpaw." I hissed.

"Come on, I have a poultice that'll fix the pain." The dove-colored she-cat calmed me down.

_I don't know how she does it. I've never seen that cat mad in my life!_

She pushed away a large rock that covered the secret entrance. In the medicine den were some draping vines that covered an empty area. That area was a passageway to the medicine den, large enough that two cats could carry a cat into the medicine den. So, if a cat had a broken leg, they could get to the medicine den.

"I couldn't memorize all those herbs if I tried." I marveled as we entered, a million scents flooding over me.

"It took me a while. Did you know a medicine cat apprentice goes through apprenticeship for 14 moons, and I'm still an apprentice?" Dovewing leapt up to the leaf ledge, and called down.

"Really?!" I was aghast.

_I don't even know how long I'll be apprenticed! _

As she smeared the poultice on my shoulder, I asked what it was made of.

"Some daisy leaves, a few stems of goldenrod, a few dried oak leaves I found in the back of the store, just so infection can't happen." She responded, placing a cobweb to secure it. "Just, make sure you take it easy on that shoulder today, you'll be fine tomorrow!"

"I will!" I felt awkward, I hadn't been in a real fight and I got my first wound from my clanmate.

Ducking my head, I scrambled into the apprentices den, as I had originally intended to. Curling in my nest, I dosed off. My head swirling with thoughts, as if my mind was trying to figure which thought to dream about. It focused on my worries, the last thing that I wanted to think about. I hadn't even realized they were there, lurking like a pack of snakes in the back of my mind.

"_Firepaw! Thornpaw! Mistpaw!" I yelled in my dream, watching pools of blood sweep my clanmates away. Whitestorm's pelt was stained with her own blood, as she collapsed, lifeless. I heard my father call. _

"_Skyclan! Retreat!" He led us away from the four clans out to get us. _

_We traveled, many injuries among us, every minute a cat fell dead._

I swirled back into reality, panicked. I felt Snowpaw's tail touch me.

"What happened?" I felt the fur on my spine rise.

"You were drenched in a cold sweat, and were screaming and twitching. I was scared you were spasming out." Snowpaw licked my head.

"Hey Sugarpaw! Time for training!" Whitestorm gleefully bounced. "Time for your pre-assessment."

"Yay." I called half-heartedly, after my nightmares; an assessment was the last thing I wanted.

Following the moon-white colored she-cat into the Training Oak Hollow. Dust and dirt surrounded me, and my claustrophobia kicked me in the gut.

Whitestorm launched herself at me, and for a spilt-second, I froze. My mind quickly processed my situation, and also remembered what Whitestorm taught me. Backflipping around my mentor as her front paw touched the ground, I tucked myself under her exposed belly. Pawing at it with sheathed claws, realizing this was a stimulated practice. My mentor rolled over, taking advantage of the circumstances. I jumped up on her stomach, causing her to wince in pain. She lay limp, as if she had been really hurt. I padded over to my mentor, poking her with my paw. She blinked her eyes open in a flash and she pushed me away with a powerful kick. Slamming into the walls, I crumpled onto the dust. My white pelt became light golden brown.

_This really doesn't feel like training…_

I winced, pain quickly flooding all my muscles. I felt like I was going to cry.

_I'm an apprentice now. And apprentices don't cry._

"Are you okay? Did I hurt you?" Whitestorm's pelt was just as dusty as mine was.

She prodded me with her paw, and I kicked her off. It wasn't as powerful as her kick, but, what else could I do? I needed to pass this assessment or else, who knew?

_If I fail, maybe I can't be an apprentice anymore! _ I panicked.

"This is enough. You most excellently passed!" Whitestorm shook her pelt, surrounding herself in a cloud of dust.

I heard her sneeze a few times, and suppressed a giggle.

Back at the camp, I felt bruised and beaten.

_I don't know how much of this I can take. If this is all the life of a warrior is, fighting and injuries, I'm not sure anymore that I want to be a warrior!_

"You okay?" I heard Feathersong's welcoming tone behind me.

"I'm fine! I'm just sore from training." I insisted.

"You might want some dock for those scratches." Feathersong sniffed my wounds.

"I'm fine!" I snapped.

_I also don't want to be a warrior if all that happens is us ending up in the medicine den after every training session or battle! Why is this life so difficult?_

The next sunrise I went on dawn patrol.

"But it is soo early!" I whined as Whitestorm took me with Robinfeather and Bushbreeze to the borders.

"And I'm still sore from my assessment!" I dragged behind my mentor.

"Shut your trap! What if Shadowclan hears your whining? How weak would that make us?" Whitestorm was fed up with her apprentice

"You used to be so gentle, what happened to that gentleness?" She softened her tone.

"I'm sorry. I just have so much on my mind, and sometimes it feels like there is something looming over my head, someone watching over me, someone with me at all times, something I was born with. Something I need to satisfy, and prove myself to." I confessed.

Whitestorm's eyes widened.

"There was a prophecy made about you and your littermates, many moons ago. Dovewing received this prophecy, and your sister, Mistpaw, found out about this." Whitestorm's voice became a hushed whisper.

"Hey, you two! You coming or what?" Bushbreeze called over his shoulder.

"We didn't do a thing! We stayed on our side of the border!" Robinfeather hissed at the Shadowclan she-cat.

"Shut up, you mousehearts! You just wanna prevent a fight. Cowards, hiding in your camp all the time." Creampelt mocked the cats across the border.

"Sugarpaw, get ready to run back to camp and get reinforcements." Whitestorm whispered to me.

"Shadowclan, attack!" Creampelt launched herself and her patrol across the border.

"Now!" Whitestorm slashed at a Shadowclan tom.

I hesitated none. I took off, running as fast I could, trying to take the most direct path I could.

_All that ever happens to us is fighting. On my first day I had to fight foxes, next, Riverclan. How many battles will be fought in my life I must participate in?_

"_Many, you young warrior. Fighting is part of a warrior's life. Blood will be shed forever." _A mysterious voice echoed in my head. _"I am Pearlpaw, your aunt. I died as an apprentice, and am your father's sister. I will be here to guide you."_

I didn't doubt her words. I ran faster, with the knowledge that a Starclan warrior was at my side.

_Has she been here all my life and I just didn't know?_

I felt warm breath behind me, and realized I was being followed. I swirled around, and the tom leaped. He looked no bigger than me.

**Author's Note; When (in Sugarpaw's POV) there is italics in quotation marks, it's Pearlpaw, kay?**

"_That's Frogpaw, Creampelt's new apprentice."_

_Can you tell me anything else about him?_

"_He is a few moons older than you, but you seem to be more agile than him. But, he has more weight, and in turn, more power. Dodge his blows at all costs. He might just sweep you off your feet."_

I stayed still, and when he was about to land, I rolled out of the way. I thrashed un-necessarily, causing a cloud of dust to cover the clearing. I squinted, and couldn't see my target.

_Shoot! Where is he? _

I immediately I saw him clear. He was looking for me. I lowered to the ground, flattening my ears. Stalking him like I would a mouse, I pounced from behind him. I felt his thick, clumped fur snag my claws and he rolled over. We tussled, and he crushed me under his body.

_You could've told me he had more battle training!_

"_That would've made you even more uncomfortable. Kick your hind legs out as hard as you can."_

Reluctantly, I listened to Pearlpaw. He slammed into a tree across the clearing. More cats came to aid him. I felt power coarse through my pelt, and for a brief minute, I saw a starry figure. She looked at me, and told me,

"_You have been blessed with a gift to see Starclan around you, and it's because of your power that allows me to be with you. You will never be alone."_

I leaped for the approaching cats, and was quickly strung aside. I landed on my paws, and turned around raking my claws on their flank. Frogpaw leapt in my direction, and I knocked him with my head, and he ended up with his claws sunk into his clanmates' fur.

I heard him mutter curses at me.

_That was satisfying._

"_Don't ever underestimate another cats' battle ability, they may surprise you. Now, run to camp through the trees. Shadowclan aren't tree-climbers."_

I swirled around the cats, and they began to get dizzy from my white blur. I soared into the leaves like a bird. Silently, I crawled through them, back to camp. Blood roared in my ears, and I heard the screeches of battle behind me.

"Hey, where'd she go?" I heard Frogpaw's deep voice.

I saw gravel, and the treeline began thinning.

_Camp._

"_Good, now get down there and deliver your message, before they pick up your scent."_

"Nightfall!" I saw the authorized she-cat, laying on the rocks, grooming.

She looked up, her fur bristling. I creeped into view.

"Sugarpaw? Where is your mentor? And your patrol?" She wondered.

"Shadowclan crossed the border, and are clashing with our patrol!" I yelled.

"So much blood is being spilled, but we can't let our warriors suffer defeat…" She murmured; "Blazeclaw, and Firepaw! Come with me!"

Nightfall led the pair of crimson warriors to the fight, along with herself.

"Through the trees, there's a few Shadowclan warriors and an apprentice I narrowly escaped below." I was embarrassed speaking of my coward run.

"Good to know," Nightfall sensed my embarrassment; "You did what a warrior would do, let her clanmates know about the battle. You risked your life running to save your other clanmates. I did the same when I was your age."

"Really?" I felt much more confident.

"Yes."

"_She did. I remember she was about a moon younger than Stormstar and I in apprenticeship. I recall that Windclan infiltrated our land, and she was outnumbered. She went through the trees and let the deputy, Breezeflyer, send re-enforcements. I died in that battle with Windclan saving my brother. That's the strength of your kinship with your siblings. Maybe even stronger."_

_Is this my destiny? Endless battles…_

"_Not exactly."_

_Then what is my destiny?_

"_That you will find out…"_

**Thank you for reading this chapter!**

**I really enjoyed writing it! Be sure to follow this story, and comment! Also, check out some of my other stories;**

_In My Dream of an Absolution_

_Welcome to Skyclan! – Guide to Eeveelutionsgirl's Skyclan_

_From Her Shadow, Into the Light_

**But, don't forget this story! **

** ~Eeveelutionsgirl**


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